The God's Bride
by MoonSword1994
Summary: Exiled god of mischief, Loki has finally revealed everything to his longtime friend and lover Mayura, and mystery of mysteries she accepted all that he told her. Now he had decided to ask her to be his wife, and live his life with her at his side. But what happens when someone from Loki's past remerges, what will that mean for the couple? Sounds like another strange mystery!
1. The Proposal

**A/N: Yes, I know this anime/manga is 10 years old. No, I don't really care. To those of you who are still fans of _'Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok'_ please enjoy! I've decided to take aspects from both the anime and manga to create this story.**

* * *

Loki Ragnarok, detective of the supernatural and god of mischief was incredibly nervous. Yes, that was the right word, nervous. Of everything he had ever done in his long life as a god, nothing would compare to what he would be doing tonight, not even facing his own daughter had prepared him for this battle. Tonight he would ask Mayura Diadouji to marry him, to be his wife, to share in the everyday craziness that was his life, which was not a request he would ask of someone without serious consideration. And bearing in mind how crazy Mayura could come across, this was certainly a monumental task.

Two years ago he had been allowed the chance to return to Asgard, to face Odin and claim his throne, and after all of the shit Odin had put him and his family through he had been sorely tempted. But after watching the lengths Mayura went to in order to find him after she had been told he had left, and reflecting on all they had been through as friends, made him realize that he was in love with her. And to leave her behind in Midgard while he assaulted the heavens above left him strangely empty. He could have become the King of the Gods, ruled over Asgard and all her domains with his children and friends at his side, but in his heart he knew that would not make him happy. Mayura made him happy, she had always made his day a little bit brighter, his loneliness a little more tolerable. Leaving her behind would have killed him as much as it might have killed her.

Choosing between a throne and Mayura had seemed the easier task when he had to explain what he, Yamino, Fenrir, and the others really were and what had been happening. Initially she had not believed him, at least not until he reverted back to his normal form, that of a young man instead of a young boy; she was more willing to take him seriously after that little performance. Convincing her that Yamino and Fenrir were actually his sons and fantastic creatures was actually far easier in comparison, since she had always had a fascination with that kind of thing. After the multiple explanations of various aspects of lore and countless retellings of their adventures with the slightly altered facts changed to the truth, Mayura had believed them and treated them just the same. Of course, now that she knew who Reiya really was, she would cling to him just a little bit more than she had before which was perfectly fine with him.

Probably the hardest thing he had to tell her was that Spica, their new maid was actually his god-wife, Angrboda and the mother of Fenrir, Yamino, and Hel. Of everything he had told her about, that had been the subject to really test her patience and understanding, considering he had also told her why he stayed in Midgard in the first place. When he had exhausted all topics on the subject of Spica, Mayura had gone quiet, which was completely out of character for her and left the mansion without another word. For days he had been pacing in his office, expecting every doorbell ring to be Mayura coming back, telling him that she wanted to be with him and that she accepted the situation. That did not happen for nearly a month. When she did finally return to the mansion, she did not speak to him at all; instead she had asked to speak with everyone but him. From what Yamino said later, she had asked them about Spica and whether he and she were still in love, her reasons being Mayura did not want to stand between him and his wife. She had even spoken to Spica, though it was more yes or no questions, and after receiving the goddess's blessing she came back to him. That night he asked her to be his intended, a term the gods have used when referring to a creature as their equal before marriage.

Tonight he would be asking for her to spend the rest of her life as his wife, a prospect that both elated and terrified him beyond belief. While he loved her deeply, perhaps more deeply than he had ever loved another besides his children, and she had been remarkably accepting of the situation regarding his identity, he was still scared. She was a mortal and he a god, a god that would have to face his destiny sooner or later, and he might have to leave her behind forever. The prospect of a life without Mayura, even an immortal one, was not a life he wanted and after being with her for nearly three years he could hardly remember his life without her. Knowing that she could die and he would lose her forever hung over him like a cloud whenever he was alone with his thoughts. If it was the last thing he would do, he would find a way to make Mayura a goddess and be with her for as long as time existed.

"Master Loki," said Yamino as he entered the study, a tray in hand and Ecchan on his head as usual. "Master Loki, are you ready yet? You don't want to keep Miss Mayura waiting, do you?"

"Of course not," said Loki as he adjusted his tie. "And to answer your original question, I am ready, I'm just trying to work up the nerve."

Yamino chuckled as he approached, setting the tray on the large dark mahogany desk. "Perhaps this will help you, it came in this morning."

Loki looked down at the tray and saw a black velvet box sitting in the center, when he opened it he smiled, it was Mayura's ring the one he had painstakingly ordered a few weeks ago. Leave it to Yamino.

"Thank you, my son," said Loki as he pulled the ring from the box, admiring it in the light of the setting sun. "Do you think she'll like it?"

"Master Loki, it's an amethyst in the shape of a skull," replied Yamino as he too looked at the ring. "I think Miss Mayura will love it. She has always been into the strange and unusual."

Loki chuckled as he put the ring back in its box before putting it in his jacket pocket. "I guess that's a good thing, since I'm sure if she were even the tiniest bit normal there's no way she'd have agreed to be my intended. I mean, she knew me when I was in a child's body and now I have the body of a fully grown adult, not exactly normal."

"Sir, when has anything been normal for our family?" asked Yamino wryly and Loki grinned.

"Yes, I guess Mayura does fit in well with the rest of us," he said then he sighed heavily. "Am I doing the right thing, Yamino? I mean, what right do I have to ask her to become the wife of a god?"

Yamino's smile fell and he walked around the desk, putting a hand on his father's shoulder. "I may not be overly poetic or philosophical, but I think you are doing the correct thing, and you have every right to ask her simply because you love her. Fenrir and I know you and Mother care for each other, but not in the same way you care for Mayura, she is the true keeper of your heart."

Loki looked up at his middle child and gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Yamino. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner to go to. Make sure you feed Narugami when he arrives, and please don't tell Freya where I am or what I'm doing should she come by, that can wait until tomorrow."

"Of course, Master Loki," said Yamino, bowing slightly as he took up the tray. "Does this rule also apply to Freyr and Heimdall?"

"Yes, I don't want anyone to come looking for either of us tonight," said Loki as he straightened his jacket. "We should be back in a few hours, do you think you can keep Fenrir occupied until then?"

Yamino nodded happily as he followed Loki out of the study. "I don't think I'll have much trouble entertaining Big Brother, though we both know he won't go to bed without you tucking him in."

"I know," replied Loki as he put on his coat. "Have a good night, Yamino."

"And you too, sir," said Yamino as Loki left the mansion. He then closed the door and smiled to himself as he headed towards the kitchen when he heard the sound of small claws headed his way. Within seconds, the great wolf Fenrir came into view, his path clear as he collided with the closed door before he could stop himself.

"Daddy!" whined Fenrir when he had collected himself. "He left without saying goodbye." If it were possible, he looked as if he were pouting.

"Come on, Big Brother," said Yamino cheerily as they went to the kitchen. "I'll fix you something to eat and then take you on your evening walk. How does that sound?"

"Fine," grumbled Fenrir in his usual gruff voice. "Hey, Yamino, is Daddy really going to marry Mayura?"

Yamino nodded as he set about making dinner. "I believe he is, Big Brother. Are you not happy about it?"

Fenrir sighed as he sat in front of his plate. "I want Daddy to be happy, I do, but it's just going to be weird thinking of Mayura as Daddy's wife. Not to mention having Mom around now, this whole situation might get uncomfortable."

"Mother is perfectly alright with Master Loki marrying Miss Mayura," replied Yamino as he chopped up radishes with his latest kitchen gadget. "If anything, she's delighted that he's finally found someone and I'm sure when the time comes, you'll be happy for him too."

"Do you think Hel would be happy for Daddy?" asked Fenrir quietly; remembering his sister still was difficult for him.

Yamino paused in his task just for a moment before he resumed, though with less zeal than before, he too found it difficult to think about his sister. "Yes, I believe she would be. I think she knew before he did actually."

Fenrir nodded, he was still a bit skeptical about whether or not Mayura and his father should marry but for now he would keep his mouth shut, at least until the occasion warranted his opinion.

"Anyway, it's not really for us to decide," said Yamino as he mixed the radishes into a bowl of lettuce. "If Master Loki wants to marry Miss Mayura, who are we to say no?"

"What?" came a small female voice. Both Yamino and Fenrir turned to look at the back door and to their horror; Reiya was standing there, her usually serene face now marred by distress and sadness. "Loki's going to marry Mayura?" she asked, her tiny voice quivering. "He can't, he can't marry her! I love him!" There was a sudden flash of blinding light and instead of Reiya standing in the doorway, in her place was the goddess Freyja though she still appeared to be quite distressed.

"Miss Freyja, calm down," insisted Yamino. "There's no need to get upset, after all, a wedding is a happy occasion as you well know."

"But . . . Loki's supposed to marry me!" exclaimed Freyja. "I love him more than she ever could! How dare he marry someone else when I've loved him for centuries!"

"Look Freyja, you're going to have to let him go," said Fenrir. "He might be your friend but he doesn't love you like that. I mean, by the gods, he stayed on Midgard for Mayura if that isn't love then I don't know what is."

Freyja still did not looked convinced, if anything she looked even more enraged. "I'm going to find Mayura and challenge her to a duel for Loki's heart!" The goddess then vanished in a spectacular blue light.

Yamino, Ecchan, and Fenrir looked at each other before charging out of the door, chasing after the love struck and jealous goddess.

"We have to get to her before she gets to Master Loki!" cried Yamino as they dashed down the sidewalk. "Damn it, Master Loki gave me one job and I failed him."

"Master Loki!" chirped Ecchan as he followed Yamino.

"Great move, you four eyed dork," growled the small black dog. "Don't worry, Daddy, I'm coming!"

Both Yamino and Fenrir hoped that they would reach Freya before she found Loki or Mayura, and that they would not have to stop any more gods at least until the next morning.

* * *

Mayura was standing outside of the restaurant when Loki arrived, she seemed to be looking for him, and he checked his watch to make sure he was not too late for their important date. He was only a few minutes late, thank the gods, and if she asked he could just tell her he was late because Fenrir insisted on a long belly rub session instead of telling her he had had to wait for her ring to arrive. He wanted this night to go perfectly, she deserved it, and by the fates he was going to give it to her.

Loki smiled as he approached, she looked beautiful tonight, well she was always stunning but tonight she seemed different. Her long pink hair hung down her back, some of it was in braids while the rest hung loose, the slight breeze blowing it gently reminded him of waves on the ocean. Her pale womanly body was clad in a light green dress that went down to her mid thigh, holding onto her shoulders by thin straps and the sweetheart neckline revealed her ample cleavage. Her willowy limbs extended from the dress and he noticed that she was wearing blue pumps, not exactly what he would have expected but Mayura had always had a style all her own. When she saw him she waved enthusiastically, her red eyes shining so bright they looked like red stars, and she ran to meet him. Throwing her arms around his neck she leaned up and kissed him in greeting, and he gladly kissed her back. Yes, he could spend eternity like this.

"Loki! I'm so glad to see you!" she said when she pulled away. "I was worried you might have found a mystery or gotten kidnapped again! I was about to call Yamino and ask him."

"No, my love, I didn't find a mystery," replied Loki with a slight shake of his head as he offered her his arm, which she accepted happily. "I'm glad you didn't call Yamino, he might have gotten worried and come looking for me. Then our night would've had to end early."

Mayura rubbed her cheek against his shoulder as they walked in to the restaurant. "And that would be a shame, since I've been looking forward to this date all week."

Loki smiled. "So have I, Mayura."

The female maître d showed them to their table, a nice spot on the balcony that Loki had specifically requested and thanks to Yamino's smooth talking it had been secured. He thought proposing in the open air with the full moon behind them would be the perfect setting, he desperately wanted this to go according to plan. As they walked to the table, he noticed Mayura's grip on him tighten, as if she were afraid of falling or something.

"Mayura, what is it?" asked Loki in a whisper.

"It's nothing, just . . ." she started but trailed off apparently something was bothering her.

He put his hand on hers. "Mayura, you know you can tell me. Please."

"Well, all of these women," said Mayura, glancing around the room. "They keep looking at you and won't stop. It's like they're hypnotized or something. I just . . . don't like it."

Loki looked around as well and noticed the women; he chuckled warmly and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry, Mayura, I have eyes only for you. Though I could do without the other men looking at you."

Mayura raised an eyebrow, her eyes shining with curiosity. "What do you mean other men? I don't see anyone looking at me."

"Well don't start looking now," laughed Loki as Mayura started looking around the room for anyone who might be checking her out. "Mayura, is my attention not enough for you now?"

She blushed a dark red and cast her eyes at the floor, an embarrassed smile on her lips. "I'm sorry, Loki, your attention is enough. I was just curious to see if other men were really looking, I'm not used to the attention like you are."

She really was the most innocent woman in the entire world, and he loved it. When they had first met, he had found her innocence and naivety a bit unsettling, how could a girl be so clueless to the ways of the world? But over time he found that what he perceived as a weakness and possible block to understanding the real world, was actually a blessing in disguise. Mayura was able to see the world in a completely different way, she did not see evil instead she saw the good in everything, in everyone and for that he was grateful. If she saw the world as the rest did, then she might not have accepted him and that he did not want to experience.

"Your waiter will be right with you," said the maître d kindly and Loki pulled out Mayura's seat for her before sitting down himself.

In the moonlight, she seemed almost like a goddess, there was an ethereal glow about her and he could not help the smile that spread across his lips. Perhaps she would become a goddess all on her own, the goddess of purity and innocence, or better yet the goddess of mysteries; that one seemed the better choice given her interests. Either way, she would certainly make Asgard a more interesting place.

"Good evening, are you prepared to order a drink or perhaps an appetizer?" asked a familiar voice and Loki looked over to see Narugami standing at their table in a black tuxedo with a pad and pen in hand.

' _Of all the restaurants in this city, he had to get a job at this one,'_ Loki thought as he watched Mayura and Narugami exchange pleasantries. He had nothing against Narugami, but given what he planned on doing tonight, the presence of Thor certainly did not make for a romantic atmosphere. Though he supposed it could have been worse, Freyr and Freyja could have come barging in.

* * *

"Get your hands off me!" cried Freyja as Yamino tried to drag her away from the restaurant. "I have to stop Loki from making the biggest mistake of his life!"

"Please, Miss Freyja, you need to calm down," begged Yamino, knowing that his strength as a human man was nothing compared to the fierce determination of an angered goddess and could do nothing to really stop her. If things continued as they did, he might have to transform to his normal form, but even the great serpent Jormungand might not be able to stop Freyja if she kept on her warpath.

"You're going to ruin my daddy's big night!" growled Fenrir as he bit down on her dress skirt. "I can't let you do that!"

"Right!" screeched Ecchan as he flew around her head.

Their combined efforts pulled Freyja to the ground but they were taken down as well, all three landing in a heap on the concrete.

"What is this?!" exclaimed a less than welcome voice. Yamino adjusted his glasses and saw Freyr with his magical mechanical pig Gullinbrusti and beside him was the god Heimdall who looked about as thrilled to see them, as he would be a dead animal.

"It's nothing, Freyr," said Yamino quickly, jumping to his feet. "Just carry on with whatever it is you're doing."

"You must help me, Freyr," growled Freyja as she pulled herself up from the ground. "They are trying to prevent me from finding Loki!"

"Good luck with that," mumbled Heimdall.

"Perhaps you should listen to Yamino, Sister," said Freyr in his most mature voice. "This obsession you have with Loki is unhealthy and only causing you grief, I think you should just forget about him. Besides, you're much too young to be thinking about marriage, you have the rest of time to figure that out."

"Please listen to your brother, Freyja," implored Yamino, dropping all formality. "What he's saying makes a lot of sense."

"I don't have time to wait!" shrieked Freyja as she tried to get Fenrir off of her dress. "Loki's proposing to Mayura tonight!"

Whatever semblance of maturity and calm Freyr had been exhibiting just moments ago vanished at Freyja's words, he got a crazed look in his eye and grit his teeth. "My Japanese beauty is going to marry him?!" he cried, falling to his knees in despair. "Say it's not so, I thought her relationship with Loki was just a phase, something that would pass with time when she realized she has loved me all along. Please tell me you're jesting, Freyja, my poor heart couldn't take it if this is the truth."

Freyja nodded as she smacked Ecchan out of her face, the little creature having resumed his job of distracting the goddess. "Why would I jest about something so serious!? Loki's going to ask her to marry him and I have to stop him!"

Freyr stood up and put a clenched fist over his heart. "Then I shall help you, Sister, for I will not lose my Japanese beauty to the likes of him!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" demanded Freyja. "Are you saying Loki's not good enough for her?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying!" argued Freyr, taking a step closer to his sister. "Loki is many things, but he is hardly worthy of such a woman as she! He is barely worthy of you!"

"You put that girl above your own sister?! How dare you!" exclaimed Freyja. "That girl is cute but she is not a goddess of beauty, such as me. Would you rather I married Loki instead of your precious Japanese beauty?"

"Honestly no, but better you than her!" shouted Freyr. "That god is so inferior he doesn't even deserve a single smile from her, but I don't care if you smile at him! Let him have second best."

They continued to argue though none of the spectators were quite sure what their argument was about anymore, it just seemed like thinly veiled insults and meaningless recitations of strange love poetry. Yamino took the chance to call in reinforcements.

"Big Brother," he whispered to the small dog on the ground. "Find Narugami and tell him what's going on, I have a feeling we're going to need his help."

"On it," said Fenrir and he ran towards the kitchen door at the restaurant where he was sure he would find Narugami, hoping to alert the god to the situation before it grew out of control.

* * *

Loki heard loud voices close by, it sounded like a couple was fighting over something childish. "Strange," he mumbled. "That almost sounds like Freyr and Freyja."

"What was that, Loki?" asked Mayura, as she cut a bite of salmon.

"Oh nothing," he said evasively. If the couple arguing really was Freyr and Freyja, he was definitely going to have a little chat with them about being civil in public and then he would find Yamino and possibly reprimand him for allowing those two morons to find him and Mayura.

"And how is everything tasting?" asked Narugami as he poured both Loki and Mayura another drink. "I hope your meal is satisfactory."

"It's delicious, Narugami," said Mayura brightly and she smiled at Loki.

"Yes, it's wonderful," replied Loki and he looked slyly at the god of thunder. "Tell me, is there an argument going on downstairs? It seems to be quite loud."

Narugami did not bat an eye as he spoke. "Yes, unfortunately. According to the valet the couple started arguing over where their car was parked and it escalated from there. We've already called the police and they should be settling their quarrel any moment now, please have a dessert on the house as our way of apologizing."

"Fine then," said Loki and he looked at Mayura. "Mayura, order whichever dessert you want."

Mayura's grin grew even wider. "I'll have the triple chocolate cake with vanilla ice-cream, please."

Narugami bowed. "Of course, it'll be ready once you've finished your meal. Anything for you, sir?"

"That's quite all right, Narugami, I'll just steal some of Mayura's," he said with a chuckle and Narugami departed without another word. He really hoped Narugami had been telling the truth and that it was not Freyr and Freyja, those two would ruin this night for sure.

* * *

"Okay, we really need to get rid of those two," said Narugami to Fenrir when he arrived back in the alleyway outside of the kitchen. "Loki's suspicious, I can tell."

Fenrir growled deep in his throat. "Damn those two. How much time do we have before Daddy and Mayura are done with their meal?"

"Not long, I'm afraid," replied Narugami and the great wolf rolled his eyes. "What? It's not my fault Freyja and her dimwit of a brother decided to arrive at the end of Loki's meal. I did buy us some time with dessert, so whatever you have planned we'd better do it fast."

"Come on, we need to get back to Yamino," said Fenrir and they went running back to the front of the restaurant. When they arrived the god siblings were still arguing, neither one even aware that they had attracted an audience or at how ridiculous they looked at this moment. Heimdall was busy going around to the spectators and asking them to place bets on which one would give up first, and many were getting in on the action by the looks of the leather purse in his hands.

"Wow, I had forgotten how bad their arguments could get," said Yamino as Narugami and Fenrir approached. "Did you manage to distract Master Loki and Miss Mayura?" They both nodded and Yamino breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, at least we have some time now to get this matter settled, though I'm not sure how to without Master Loki's help."

"Did you say 'Loki'?" asked Freyja suddenly, turning to Yamino before grabbing him by the jacket front and shaking him. "Is he here? Where is he?!"

"He's not here, Freyja," said Narugami quickly. "He and Mayura snuck out the back, they said they were headed to the park."

Freyja's eyes lit up and she dropped Yamino. "Then I shall go to the park as well and show my sweet Loki that I'm the one he's meant to be with." She then started running the general direction of the nearest park, leaving the others completely blown away by the fact it was that simple to distract her.

"I shall go too," declared Freyr and he grabbed Heimdall's arm. "Come, Heimdall, we must go convince my Japanese beauty not to marry that cretin Loki!"

Heimdall, whom had been collecting his winnings from the spectators, was less than thrilled about being dragged along on Freyr's insane mission. "Why do I have to come too? I don't care who either of them marries."

"Oh, just shut up and get on Gullinbrusti," snapped Freyr as he pulled Heimdall on his magical flying pig and flew off in the same direction Freyja had run off in.

"Wow," said Narugami in disbelief.

"My sentiments exactly, Narugami," said Yamino and then he looked around at the people before leaning in to whisper to Narugami and Fenrir. "Perhaps it would be best if we left, we don't want Master Loki catching us here."

"Yeah, I don't want to upset Daddy," said Fenrir. "We might want to go to the park, just to make sure those two boneheads don't tear it up or hurt someone looking for Daddy and Mayura."

"Good idea," chirped Ecchan. "Do we need more people to help?"

"I think so," said Yamino in a low voice. "Perhaps you should go look for the Norn Sisters or perhaps Mother, she might be of some help to us."

Ecchan nodded his tiny head and started heading back towards the mansion.

"Okay, and while you do that, I'm going to tell my boss I have a family emergency," said Narugami and he took off towards the kitchens once again.

"Should we wait for him?" Yamino asked Fenrir who shook his head.

"He knows where we're going, he'll catch up when he's ready," replied Fenrir and then they took off towards the park, wondering how much trouble Freyr and Freyja had gotten into in just a short time.

* * *

' _You're going to have to ask her sooner or later, get it over with!'_ thought Loki as he watched Mayura enjoy her dessert. He had been waiting for an opportunity to ask her all evening but one never came up, instead they had spent the time discussing a few of their current cases and how some of their mutual friends were doing. Nothing had given him the opening he had been hoping for.

"Should we go now, Loki?" asked Mayura and he saw that she had finished her dessert.

"Sure, if you like," he replied with a small smile, he was still trying to figure out the best way to ask her to marry him. He had planned out everything except where and how he would propose to her, every time he had tried he would just get nervous and forget what he wanted to say in the first place. Maybe it had been a bad idea to try tonight.

He paid the bill and they left shortly after with intentions of going back to the mansion but something in him told him they should go to the park. When he suggested a moonlit stroll through the park, Mayura eagerly agreed. Perhaps he could ask her to marry him there?

The park was empty for the most part when they arrived, the only sounds they heard were those of the wildlife and the wind blowing through the trees, making for a far more peaceful setting than the mansion. They held hands as they walked, neither one saying much except Mayura would occasionally remark on something she saw or whatever popped into her creative mind, not that he was bothered. He enjoyed hearing what she had to say on something he found particularly mundane. With Mayura, life was hardly dull.

They came to a large fountain in the middle of the park and Mayura smiled sweetly.

"I know this place," she whispered and looked up at him expectantly. "You brought me here and told me you were a _Kami_ sent to grant me one wish."

Realization dawned on Loki and he smiled fondly down at her. "And your wish was to see me again. Do you think it came true?"

Mayura laughed and nodded. "In more ways than one," she said before taking a few steps forward, only to feel a gentle but firm grip hold her back. She turned around slightly and saw Loki with a strange look on his face, when he pulled her closer she did not resist, mesmerized by the hypnotic light of his emerald eyes.

"Mayura, are you happy with me?" he asked, not making eye contact, but his arms tightened around her waist.

"Of course I am," she said brightly. "Ever since we first met my life's been so much better! And it hasn't stopped."

Loki smiled gently. "I feel the same way. I love you, Mayura, you know that right?"

"Yes," she replied though she was nervous now, this was starting to sound like a goodbye speech. "Loki, is there something I should know?"

He shrugged, not entirely sure how to answer that question. "Well, yes I suppose so," he said softly then he looked her in the eye. "Mayura, if I told you things between us could be better, would you like them to?"

She giggled. "I'm not exactly sure how this could get any better, but okay, yes I would."

With a trembling hand he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the ring box, keeping it firmly in his grip. "Then you should know that being with you these last few years has made me happier than I thought possible, and I don't want that to end." He pulled away from her slightly and opened the ring box, making sure she could see the ring inside. "Mayura Diadouji, will you marry me?"

Mayura looked from the ring then back at Loki, it took a few moments for his words to sink in before she understood his meaning. "Yes!" she shouted and then threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace, she felt him return the gesture and she almost cried, of everything that could have happened that night this was the last thing she expected.

They pulled away simultaneously and gazed at each other before Loki kissed her passionately, stealing her breath away in the process. He was glad he had asked and thrilled that she had said yes, the night had been one to remember and he was looking forward to what the morning brought.

* * *

"That was so sweet," said Yamino as he wiped his eyes with his handkerchief before handing it to Narugami. They were hiding in the trees close to where Mayura and Loki were standing and were overcome by the purity and beauty of the proposal.

"Punyan!" cried Ecchan as he flipped happily in the air.

"Yeah, it was nice," agreed Narugami as he passed the handkerchief to Spica, who needed it more than he did. The giantess in disguise was unabashedly crying as they stood there in the thicket of trees, she even wiped Fenrir's face though he protested.

"I think we should hurry home before they realize we're here," said Yamino and the others agreed.

"What are we going to do about those two?" asked Fenrir, indicating the now unconscious Freyr and Freyja now in the form of Reiya, both of whom were tied up together.

"I'll take Freyr back to my place," sighed Heimdall, who was now dressed in an oversized diaper with a bow and arrow with heart shaped arrowheads. Apparently, Freyr was going to use him in his scheme to win over Mayura before Narugami knocked the lovesick god out with a cast iron skillet he had picked up from work.

Yamino nodded. "Thank you, Heimdall. That would be most appreciated. And I'll make sure Miss Reiya arrives home safely; just don't forget the surprise brunch tomorrow. Oh and Mother, thank you for your assistance. Turing Freyja back into Reiya then putting her to sleep was most helpful."

Spica nodded and smiled at her middle child as she petted her eldest. She then helped Heimdall drag Freyr away, Narugami and Ecchan following after them and Yamino gently picked up Reiya from the ground. He looked over his shoulder and saw his father and Mayura still in a lover's embrace, he smiled fondly as he followed the others out of the park, glad that his father's night had gone as well as they had all hoped.


	2. Brunch with Gods

**A/N: This story is rated 'M' for a reason! Mild adult content in this chapter. Also, I decided to alter some Norse mythology for the purposes of this story. I'm glad those of you reading so far are enjoying it!**

* * *

Mayura moaned softly, she could feel something warm and soft on her neck but she was too tired at the moment to determine what it was. Then she felt something large rest on her hip, moving up and down her curves as the assault on her neck continued before going down her shoulders. These ministrations created a growing warmth in her core, a feeling she was by now all too familiar with, thanks to her intended. She realized then what was going on and who was responsible.

"Loki," she whispered faintly and she heard him chuckle warmly beside her ear.

"Hmm it seems you're getting better at this, Mayura," he said before kissing just below her ear, sucking on the tender flesh. "Maybe I should up my strategies."

She smiled as she turned over in his arms, brushing her fingertips across his collarbone. "Hmm, I'd love to see what my Norse god could come up with," she said kissing a spot between his neck and shoulder. "That would be a fun mystery to solve."

Loki smiled at her and kissed her forehead, while she had definitely matured beyond being completely obsessed with mysteries and the supernatural, it would still creep up every now and then. "I could give you some clues, if you'd like."

Mayura's eyes lit up with excitement and she nods excitedly. "Yes please."

"Just don't yell too loudly, the others might still be asleep," murmured Loki and he pushed Mayura gently on her back, noting how eager and relaxed she was now. He hovered over her for a moment, admiring how beautiful she was beneath him, and then he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. Slowly he moved down her face, kissing her closed eyes, then her nose and cheeks he skipped over her lips and she pouted but said nothing. He grinned before kissing her chin, and then he made his way down her alabaster neck, alternating between sucking and kissing her skin. He reveled in the little sounds she made, each gasp and moan went straight to his manhood, hardening it even more with each passing second. It was taking all of his self-control not to skip this foreplay session and take her right then and there. She always looked irresistible when she was receiving pleasure from him, however and he enjoyed the sight.

"Don't stop," she breathed and she tangled her fingers in his red-brown hair. He loved it when she would say something like that; it showed how far she had come since the first time he made love to her. She used to just let him do what he wanted for the most part and only became vocal if she really did not like something, though he had always been sure not to do anything too dangerous or strange. He wanted to make sure she enjoyed herself as much as he did, and so far he had been successful in his endeavor.

"I won't," he purred and he went back to pleasuring her neck, she had always had a sensitive neck. His lips and tongue crept lower, kissing over her soft skin as he continued towards her breasts, and he was surprised when Mayura took control and slid the thin straps of her white nightgown down her shoulders. Loki nearly growled at the sight of her pale bare breasts, and she smirked, knowing how much he enjoyed toying with them. He lowered his mouth to her pert light pink nipple, brushing his lips across it as it peaked; she moaned and pushed his mouth down onto it, unable to take his teasing any longer.

Then there was a knock at the door. "Master Loki," said Yamino and the person in question twisted his fists into the bed sheets, very annoyed that he and his intended were interrupted. "Master Loki, Miss Mayura, are you awake?"

Loki reluctantly moved off of Mayura and gave her a disappointed look, only to be rewarded with a dazzling smile and the promise of 'Later' in her crimson eyes.

"Yes, Yamino, we're awake," sighed Loki as he straightened himself up, watching as Mayura did the same, he had to fight against the urge to rip the delicate fabric that hid her body from him.

"Good, brunch will be served in half an hour," said Yamino pleasantly. "I expect you both to be ready by then, I'll be back in a few minutes to check on your progress."

When he heard his son's retreating footsteps, Loki groaned loudly and fell back on his bed, hands tangled in his hair. "I love him dearly, but he has the worst timing imaginable," he mumbled and then he felt Mayura kiss his cheek.

"He might," said Mayura coyly, "but if it's all the same to you, Loki, I'd like to investigate this mystery more tonight."

Loki grinned as he pulled his hands from his hair and wrapped them around her slender frame tightly. "And who am I to deny my beautiful Mayura a mystery? Especially one as tantalizing as this one, the ending is particularly good as well."

"And how does it end? Can I have a clue?" asked Mayura as she nuzzled against his chest, drawing faint circles with her fingertip.

"It ends with a scream so loud, even the gods in Asgard will be able to hear," he said and again he cursed Yamino for interrupting them earlier, being painfully reminded of the fact by his throbbing erection.

Mayura whimpered beside him. "Oh, Loki. We might have to skip brunch."

"I'm sorry, Miss Mayura," said Yamino through the door. "I won't allow you to skip this meal, now please, hurry up and get ready. The food will be cold by the time you arrive."

"He's lucky I love him," sighed Mayura and Loki in unison, both smiling when they heard the other. With a great deal of restraint they both got up from the bed and went to get their clothes so they could change into something more appropriate for a brunch with their family.

While Mayura was not an official member yet, she still considered Yamino, Fenrir, and even Spica as her family and like Loki she would do anything in her power to keep them safe and well even at the cost of her own life. She had been a little embarrassed when she first spent the night in Loki's room, wondering how his sons would react to seeing her come down to breakfast with him, but to their credit they had said nothing. Yamino had just smiled at her and Fenrir hopped in her lap like it was just another morning, Spica did wink when she saw her though. After that, it just seemed like a natural occurrence for her to be there in the evening and again the next morning, no one questioned it. She had started to wonder how normal it really was for Loki to have a woman come out of his room, but she had yet to bring up the subject.

"You should wear that purple skirt with your white top," said Loki as he procured a blue dress shirt and a pair of grey jeans from his wardrobe.

Mayura smiled as she grabbed the skirt he had suggested; she had gotten into the habit of leaving a few outfits here and it always pleased her that Loki treated this like it had always been this way. He was right of course, the skirt went very well with the top and when she put it on she made sure to roll it up an inch, just below scandalous. If he noticed he said nothing but by the way he was looking at her, she knew he approved. Getting dressed with him was almost as much fun as getting undressed.

* * *

They made their way down from their room hand in hand, as they had done nearly every morning for the last year and a half, though this morning felt a little differently than the others in the past. Mayura glanced at the ring she now wore on her left hand, the one Loki had given her last night after a wonderful meal and an even more wonderful speech about how much she meant to him. She had always known that Loki loved her, he had said so himself when he told her why he had remained in Midgard instead of leaving for the Realm of the Gods, but his proposal had still caught her off guard. While she truly loved him, she was still curious as to why a god like Loki would love a mortal girl like her, when he had goddesses and beautiful mortal women throwing themselves at his feet whenever he entered a room. She did not see herself as equal to those women, in fact she felt somewhat inferior to the goddesses that flitted in and out of the house on a regular basis. _'Why me?'_ she wondered as she glanced once again at her ring.

"Don't you like your ring, Mayura?" asked Loki when he saw what she was doing. "I tried to find one as unique as you are."

Mayura smiled at him and squeezed his hand. "I love it, Loki, it's everything I ever wanted in a ring! And it's a skull too, even better."

Loki breathed a sigh of relief; he had been worried that she might ask him for something different. "That's good, it took weeks to find a jeweler who knew how to carve jewels into skulls."

"My father's going to have a field day when he sees it," laughed Mayura as they walked into the dining room, expecting to see everyone already gathered at the table but instead they saw no one. "Where are they?" she asked as she looked around the empty room.

"I'm not sure," said Loki with a slight frown. "Perhaps Yamino decided to set up brunch out in the garden? Let's check there."

Mayura nodded and together they left to the backdoor, surprised to see it standing slightly ajar, now this was certainly out of place. Loki tensed and stepped in front of Mayura, if someone or something was here they would not get her, of that he was sure. Cautiously he opened the door the rest of the way and suddenly he heard several voices shout in unison.

"Congratulations!"

Loki and Mayura jumped when they heard them shout but quickly recovered when they saw whom had shouted at them: Yamino, Ecchan, Fenrir, Urd, Skuld, Verdandi, Narugami, Heimdall, Mayura's father Misao Daidouji, and their friend Koutaro. Freyr and Freyja were there as well but they were both openly weeping instead of joining in with the others. It would appear that they had not yet recovered from seeing Loki propose to Mayura the night before.

"What's all this?" asked Loki looking around him at all of the people standing in his garden. If this was Yamino's doing, he had certainly outdone himself: there was a long banquet table covered in a pale yellow tablecloth, several bouquets of white and pink flowers were placed at precise points, the table settings were some of their best white china alongside their cut crystal goblets. Behind that was a long table full of food, stacked on gleaming silver trays. Yes, Yamino had indeed gone above and beyond for this meal.

"Your engagement brunch of course," said Yamino, Ecchan perched amidst his green hair comfortably. "I thought this would be a nice way to celebrate you and Mayura starting on the path to becoming husband and wife."

"Oh Yamino!" cried Mayura and she rushed to embrace him, embarrassing the serpent in disguise a little. "Yamino, thank you so much!"

Loki laughed at his son's obvious embarrassment, he was just as thrilled as Mayura at this surprise.

"Daddy!" barked Fenrir and Loki picked him up, snuggling his eldest child against his chest. "Did you like the surprise, Daddy?"

"Of course, Fenrir," said Loki, petting his son's back. "I'm also surprised that you were able to keep it a secret, we all know what a big mouth you have."

Everyone laughed including Fenrir at least until he realized what his father had said.

"Speaking of which," said Yamino, picking up a tray of food. "Everyone please be seated, brunch is now being served."

The gods, goddesses, and mortals sat around the long table waiting expectantly as Spica and Yamino started to serve the dishes of freshly prepared food. Yamino had gone all out on this feast, there were specialty dishes of all kinds such as beef stroganoff, calamari, Spanish omelets, jelly filled pastries, not to mention a variety of drinks. Everyone helped themselves to a little bit of everything, all eager to try some of Yamino's best dishes before Narugami and Fenrir decided to eat it all.

"Yamino, this is delicious," said Mayura in between bites of a strawberry filled croissant. "Maybe you should cook for the wedding as well."

Yamino blushed as he sat down beside Spica. "Thank you, Miss Mayura," he said humbly. "It would be an honor to cook for yours and Master Loki's wedding, it would be a feast to rival those in Asgard."

"Well, you're on your way," said Narugami, his mouth full of food yet somehow managing to talk around it. "All we need now is a room in the clouds to house all of these feasts."

Mayura was a little confused and she leaned in close to Loki. "Room in the clouds?"

"In Asgard, there is a special banquet hall that sits on the highest clouds," explained Loki. "It's where the gods hold their most sacred and special feasts, especially wedding feasts. The first to use it were Odin and his wife Frigg, it was actually a wedding present for her from him."

"Sounds beautiful," whispered Mayura and Loki nodded.

"It's one of the most beautiful places in Asgard," agreed Loki and then he took Mayura's hand. "Someday, I'll take you there and we will hold a feast of our own."

Mayura grinned broadly. "That sounds wonderful, Loki. I hope we can someday."

"We will," insisted Loki. "I promise, Mayura, someday soon we'll travel to Asgard together and in the Hall of the Clouds we'll hold a proper wedding feast fit for the gods."

"Can I come, Daddy?" asked Fenrir, standing on his back legs against Loki's chair.

Loki smiled as he rubbed his head. "Of course, Fenrir, it wouldn't be a feast without the entire family. You'll just have to promise not to eat all of the food."

Fenrir wagged his tail and barked loudly before going back to the large dish Yamino had prepared for him.

"Are those two alright?" asked Daidouji, leaning in close to Mayura and Loki; he was looking directly at Freyr and Freyja both of whom had yet to collect themselves together and stop crying.

"They're fine," said Heimdall from Daidouji's left. "They're just both being big babies about this whole engagement thing."

"What do you mean?" asked Daidouji.

Heimdall shrugged as he took a drink of his sparkling orange juice. "Well, Freyja's been deeply infatuated with Loki for centuries and was hoping he'd marry her, and Freyr's been the same way over Mayura though not for as long. Either way, they're behaving poorly about this."

Daidouji nodded and then looked darkly at Loki, apparently he was not happy to hear that a goddess was incredibly obsessed with his soon to be son-in-law and Loki could understand. Daidouji had been very patient with the situation from the moment they told him about what they really are, he had even surprised them by saying he had suspected they were not true mortals. The man had always been more perceptive to the supernatural and things like that than his daughter though he had adamantly tried to deny their existence. He had even formed a kind of bond with Ecchan despite Loki having summoned the familiar as a way to possibly scare Daidouji into admitting that there was a supernatural world. If he did have any problems with the gods, they were mostly directed at Loki whom had initially brushed them off as a natural reaction to a father seeing his daughter seriously involved with a man. Lately however, it seemed as if Daidouji was even more on edge, and if Loki could pinpoint the exact moment he noticed the change it had to be when he had asked for his blessing in proposing to Mayura. The man had been acting more hostile towards Loki since then.

"Mayura, can I see your ring?" asked Skuld, jumping up and down excitedly. She too had had been infatuated with Loki but that seemed to have died down tremendously and now she seemed far more interested in Narugami. Which suited Loki just fine, the fewer women that threw themselves at him, the happier he was.

"Oh yes!" exclaimed Verdandi. "Please, Mayura, show us!"

The Norn sisters gathered around Mayura as she proudly showed off her ring, each one admiring it and gushing over how beautiful it was. It did not appear that they noticed the shape the stone was carved it or they did but did not care to mention it, after all this was Mayura.

"You're so lucky, Mayura!" said Urd with a slight pout as she looked at Koutaro, they had been together just slightly longer than Mayura and Loki though Koutaro had yet to make any proper commitment. "And the shape is so unique! I don't think I've ever seen a stone carved into a small skull before."

Daidouji grabbed Mayura's hand and inspected the stone, his eyes widened in realization when he saw that Urd's words were true and the stone was in fact carved to resemble a skull. "I thought you were going to make her normal!" he exclaimed, looking angrily at Loki who met his gaze calmly. "I was hoping that being with you might shake of her weirdness!"

"Daddy!" exclaimed Mayura, snatching her hand back from her father's grip.

"Actually, Mr. Daidouji, I find Mayura's fascinations endearing," replied Loki calmly and he took her hand again. "Her desire to want the world to be a more fascinating place is admirable, and shows how truly open minded she is. While she might have failed to notice our identities, she does have the gift of sixth sight, it was just ignored due to her overwhelming want to notice the oddities she read about in books and saw on television. And I would not change anything about her, nor would I want anything changed, if so then she would no longer be the Mayura I love."

Mayura smiled lovingly at Loki, then looked to her father who looked surprisingly happy despite having had a rather unpleasant outburst just moments ago. It would seem Loki had passed some test he was not even aware he had been set up for.

' _At least I did something right in his eyes,'_ he thought as he motioned for Yamino to pour him another cup of tea. His middle son was certainly in his element with organizing and executing this party with hardly any effort, perhaps Mayura was right and he should cater the wedding, hell maybe he should organize the entire event. He might actually enjoy the challenge of planning a wedding.

"You'll marry Loki and I right, Daddy?" asked Mayura to her father, bringing Loki from his musings.

Daidouji was reluctant to answer, while he had always hoped that Mayura would want him to be the one to marry her, he had not expected the situation to be so incredibly unique. "Well, Mayura, I don't know if I can," he said cautiously. "As far as I know, I can only marry mortals to other mortals, I don't know if I can marry a mortal and a god. My authority might only reach so far."

Loki had anticipated this very situation and had done some extensive research to try and find someway for a compromise. "Actually, Mr. Daidouji, you can marry us," said Loki and nearly everyone at the table looked at him, curious to hear his explanation. "You were given permission by your gods to perform wedding ceremonies and so, being a god myself, I give you my permission to perform my wedding ceremony. The only stipulation is our wedding must be a blend of cultures, with aspects from both Japanese and Norse rituals included. If you agree, then you have my unwavering permission to marry us."

Now all eyes were on Daidouji, especially Mayura's as she was silently pleading with him to accept Loki's offer. Daidouji considered the god's words carefully, the logic made sense and he was certain he could find someway to balance the requirements of both cultures, but he was still reluctant. After being informed as to what Loki and the others were, he had done some research of his own and what he had found was troubling; Loki hardly seemed like the most loyal of husbands, and was allegedly connected to several women and had more children than the three. If he was going to allow his daughter to marry this . . . god, he was going to have to speak with him about his past dalliances; he would not allow any man, god or otherwise, to hurt his beloved and only daughter. He would sooner die.

"Since it means so much to Mayura, I accept," he said and Mayura cheered loudly and the others applauded, pleased with the outcome. "There are a few details I would like to discuss with Loki, and I'd rather get them out of the way now before this progresses much further. I'll have an easier time with the ceremony if things are addressed now rather than later."

"Of course, sir," said Loki and he rose from the table. "If you'll follow me." Mayura went to stand but Loki placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "It's alright, Mayura, your father and I are just going to talk. Sit and enjoy your meal, we'll be right back."

Mayura nodded and sat back down reluctantly, she could tell her father wanted to discuss something serious with Loki and she desperately wanted to know what it was about but she was sure she could wait a few minutes. Though if they were not back soon enough, she might just have to go poking around for a few clues to figure out what they were talking about.

* * *

Loki and Daidouji walked a ways from the party, both knowing that this talk would not be something meant for polite company. They walked until they reached a blossoming cherry tree, one Yamino had had shipped in from an orchard, and Daidouji silently indicated that he was ready to speak his piece though he was not sure how to start. He was a little concerned about possibly upsetting a god as powerful as Loki and what it might mean for him and Mayura.

"I'm not sure how much Mayura knows about you," he started, keeping his tone even and his breathing steady. "But I've done some research into you, Loki, and I can't say I'm particularly happy about what I've read. Not only has your conduct with other gods in the past been questionable but also you seem to have had a number of dalliances with other goddesses and creatures. My daughter is innocent to many things, but especially to love and men, and I don't want her to be taken advantage of. If you see her as just another conquest or as a means of gaining something, then I will put an end to this wedding and your relationship before it goes any further. I love my daughter, and I would die to protect her from harm, even if that harm is you."

Loki was speechless, he had expected this talk to be serious but he had not expected Daidouji to be so upfront and almost confrontational; he must have been thinking about this for a while. "Mr. Daidouji, you know that I too am a father," he said, his emerald eyes never leaving the other man's face. "And like you I would rather die than watch my child suffer, and would do almost anything to protect them, even keeping them away from those who might do them harm. You have every right to be suspicious of my motives, after all my identity was kept secret for so long, I would have been even more surprised if you hadn't said something about my past. But I would like to set the record straight with you. Most of the myths you have read are just that, myths. Some are real; such as my having three children by the giantess Angrboda, but others are false such as her being merely my mistress. Angrboda was my wife and I had no others, nor did I have as many affairs as the myths say. Humans created those stories on their own, weaving their own tales of the gods, which is why there are so many contradictions and retellings."

"Fine," sighed Daidouji though he did not seem completely convinced. "How many affairs have you had? Not including my daughter."

"I did not have an affair with your daughter," said Loki with a deep frown. "You do her a great dishonor by even labeling our relationship as such. But to answer your original question, I have not had any affairs. I may have flirted with other goddesses and do attract a following of women, but I was completely loyal to Angrboda until we ended our marriage some time ago. She and I have remained close friends and I care about her deeply, but I never loved her like I love Mayura."

Daidouji nodded and Loki could see some of the tension leaving his face. "Alright then, so you answered another question I had," said Daidouji calmly. "I want to know about Freyja, her infatuation with you seems almost obsessive, and the way she's been carrying on today troubles me. I want to know that Mayura won't be harmed by her."

"You have my word," said Loki solemnly. "Freyja's fixation with me is mostly due to the fact that I am the only god to have rejected her repeatedly, as normally she is able to charm any man into her bed but I refused her. I swear to you on my life that I won't let Mayura be harmed by her or any other god."

The more he spoke, the more reassured Daidouji seemed. Perhaps this conversation was just what they needed in order to clear the air.

"Good," said Daidouji, brushing some sweat from his brow. "All I want is my little girl safe, and since you're to be her husband, I'm trusting you to do just that. No matter how powerful you might be, if you allow my daughter to be harmed in any way, nothing will save you from me."

"Which is exactly what I would say if I was in your place," agreed Loki, a stab of pain in his heart as he thought of Hel. He doubted he would be in Daidouji's place but he knew how he would feel if his daughter were the one getting married.

"Speaking of which, I have one other thing I wish to discuss," said Daidouji sternly. "You keep referring to the fact that you're a father, and that Angrboda is the mother to your three children, do you intend to have children with Mayura? Is that even possible?"

Loki had foreseen this subject coming up sooner or later, though he would have rather Mayura brought it up instead of her father, but since Daidouji asked he was obligated to answer. "Yes, I do plan on having children with Mayura someday," he replied coolly. "Is this is a problem? I thought you wanted to be a grandfather."

Daidouji's dark eyes widened, apparently he had not expected to be asked that question. "Well . . . I-yes, of course I do!" he nearly shouted but calmed himself. "What I mean is, is it safe for Mayura to have a child with you? I mean, two of your children are incredibly large animals; will your child with her be a huge animal too? Or will the child be . . . human in appearance?"

"I can't say for certain, but I'm pretty sure our child would look human," said Loki glancing over at Yamino who was engaged in conversation with Mayura and Fenrir. He smiled fondly at his small family, the thought of having a child with Mayura made his heart soar though he knew they would have to have a talk about it beforehand. "Though the fact remains, the child would be a demigod and probably have some god-like abilities."

"Well, I guess that's better than how I imagined it," said Daidouji softly. "I think I can handle a grandchild that has mystic powers, I mean, I did raise Mayura."

"Indeed you did," chuckled Loki and he motioned back towards the party. "Shall we rejoin them? Needless to say, Mayura might take the opportunity to declare our conversation a mystery for her to solve."

Daidouji laughed and followed Loki back to the table, glad that he had had this talk with his future son-in-law. He felt closer with the god now and was looking forward to the day when he could consider him family.

"Is everything all right, you were gone for quite some time?" asked Mayura as he father and fiancé sat back down in their respective seats.

"Yes, everything's fine," said Loki pleasantly, rubbing her shoulder affectionately. "Your father and I have reached an understanding, the wedding will go on as planned."

Mayura breathed a heavy sigh of relief, evidently relieved that the talk had not turned into a brawl or an all out argument. "That's good news," she said pleasantly. "Now all we have to do is set a date and start planning, this is so exciting!"

Loki smiled and kissed her cheek. "Indeed it will be, and we can discuss the details later, I think for now we should enjoy ourselves."

"I couldn't agree more," said Daidouji suddenly and then he stood up, his glass in hand. "Attention everyone, I would like to make a toast." The table quieted and all eyes were now on Daidouji. "Thank you, now as I was saying, I would like to make a toast to Mayura and Loki. A father could never ask for a better daughter nor could he ask for a better man to love her. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and prosperity. To Mayura and Loki!"

"Mayura and Loki!" said the rest of the table, all lifting their glasses. The only two who did not were Freyr and Freyja but that was hardly surprising.

"My classic Japanese beauty, you can't marry him!" exclaimed Freyr unexpectedly and he jumped up from the table dramatically. "I am the man you are meant to be with, can't you see?! I'll make you happier than you ever have been with Loki, and will give you every—"

The appearance of a custard tart landing right on Freyr's face cut off his monologue before anyone else could. Everyone at the table was stunned but when they looked to see where it had come from, they were even more surprised to see Mayura standing from the table, her arm still extended from throwing the tart. It would appear that she had had enough of the god's declarations of love, and was shutting him up in the most polite way possible. Everyone was having a difficult time keeping a straight face, the Norns especially, all three were holding onto their sides as they avoided looking at Freyr. Koutaro was covering his mouth with his hand, nearly choking on his laughter and even Spica was struggling to keep herself together.

"That's my girl," said Loki brightly and Mayura blushed as she sat back down. "Yamino, I think we're going to need another dessert and Spica, could you please get Freyr a towel so he can clean himself up?"

"Of course, Master Loki," said Yamino, struggling not to laugh as well.

Loki smiled to himself as he observed the others, while this was probably not how the party was supposed to go, it was certainly memorable. If this was any indication of how the wedding would go, then Yamino might have to bring more towels and possibly double the number of desserts.


	3. The Gods' Messenger is Completely Nuts

**A/N: Adult content in this chapter, you have been warned. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Loki sighed heavily as he read over the information for his latest mystery; it concerned a sleepwalking man who would end with strange items in his possession stolen from various locations around the city. He had turned himself into the police but still things were being stolen and they were always found on him the next morning though he had not left his holding cell. Loki suspected that a demon of some sort was responsible for this man's situation but he could only be sure once he had met with the man in person, which he was going to do the next morning. Knowing Mayura she would want to tag along, and he could hardly deny her, she was a great help sometimes and since freeing up her sixth sense she was able to detect otherworldly presences before even he could.

 _'I guess I should go to bed,'_ he thought, looking at the clock on the mantle, which chimed just then, signifying the midnight hour. He stretched his arms high above his head and then got up out of his chair, he approached the door and when he opened it he heard soft giggling, peering out into the hall he saw Mayura running out the front door. _'What's she doing?'_ he wondered as he started chasing after her. This was not like Mayura at all.

He followed her out the door but when he reached the courtyard he could not find her, then he saw the gate was opened yet Mayura was not there. Loki approached the gate and looked around, he heard her giggle again and he chased after the sound, wondering why he could hear her but not see her. His surroundings changed without his notice, instead of running through the neighborhood he was now in a forest not unlike the one that was close to Kotaro's vacation home and the hot springs. He paused and looked around, surprised at his new environment though he did not have long to contemplate why he was there in the first place, out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Mayura running among the trees. Then he heard her giggle again and he took off, if a demon or god was responsible for this he had to make sure Mayura was safe before he went after whomever was doing this.

 _'Where is she now?'_ he wondered when he came to a fork in the road, getting more and more frustrated at the situation. Loki was about to take the nearest path when he heard a loud splash in the opposite direction, so he charged down that road concerned that Mayura might be in real danger. He arrived at a wide rushing river, the current so fast he could not tell whether or not there was a bottom to it at all, even the rocks appeared to be hanging on for dear life in the midst of the frothing water.

Above the sounds of the rushing water he heard Mayura calling to him. "Loki! Loki, save me!"

Hurriedly he scanned the water looking for any sign of her and then he saw her clinging to a rock, the water beating on her mercilessly as she tried to stay above water. She was going to drown unless he did something.

"Mayura, don't worry!" he called as he rushed to a better position on the bank. "I'm here, my love, I'll save you!"

"I know!" she called to him right before a large wave came crashing over her, nearly taking her off of the rock.

Loki was shaking as he looked around for a sturdy branch, he could not brave the water himself there was no way, but he refused to let Mayura die because of his cowardice. When he found the branch he was looking for he clung to the nearest tree and extended it to her, hoping she would be able to take the branch without drowning in the process. She took the end of it and held on but the current continued to pull on her, trying to take her further downstream.

"Don't let go," he begged as he started pulling on the branch to bring her closer to the riverbank, inch by inch she was getting closer to safety.

"I won't!" she replied and as she was pulled closer to the shore, she started to smile and so did he, relieved that he had saved her despite there being water. Then he heard a horrible cracking sound. Looking down he saw the branch was starting to break and he stopped pulling, not wanting to stress the break further but that proved useless. Between Mayura's grip and the current pulling her, the branch was still breaking and he could do nothing to save her.

"Mayura!" he shouted in vain and he watched in horror as the branch snapped in half and she was carried away, out of sight. "No! Mayura! Mayura!"

His eyes refused to look away from the spot she had gone under at and could feel tears stinging his eyes: Mayura was dead and it was his fault. "Mayura!" he shouted at the top of his lungs and he fell to his knees.

* * *

"Loki," said Mayura as she shook his shoulders. "Loki, you're dreaming. Please wake up, Loki!"

The god's eyes snapped open and he could feel his heart racing in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through his veins like blood. It took him a moment but slowly his surroundings came into view and he saw that he was still in his office, in his chair and that Mayura was standing in front of him. Mayura. Instantly he jumped up and wrapped his arms around her, still reeling from the dream that had been far too real for his liking, hardly believing that that whole experience had been only a dream.

"Thank the gods," he whispered, his body quivering as he pulled away from Mayura, desperate to make sure she was real and this was not another illusion.

Mayura cupped his cheek and wiped away a tear. "That must have been some dream."

Loki gave a shaky laugh as he leaned into her hand, glad to feel her warmth. "It certainly was, a little too real to be quite honest. What are you doing here?"

"I came to take you to bed," she said with a smile though her eyes held concern. "Do you want to talk about your dream? You might feel better."

"You might not want to hear it," said Loki, averting his gaze. He was incredibly reluctant to share what he had dreamt with her, especially because of how it had ended, how could he tell her he had dreamt about her dying?

"Loki, please," she said gently. "You know you can tell me anything, please let me help you. I mean, if you can't tell your wife, who can you tell?" She blushed when she said 'wife.'

Loki smiled at her words, she was right after all; if he could not tell his wife something this upsetting then he was certainly selling her short as far as his trust and respect. "Alright," he said, taking her hand. "But I think we should both be sitting down when I tell you, this wasn't exactly a pleasant dream."

Mayura nodded and allowed herself to be taken to one of the sofas in Loki's office where they sat together, Loki's eyes never leaving her face.

"The dream started out with me in my office," he said quietly. "Then I heard you laughing and saw you run out of the mansion, so I chased after you, and then it changed from me running in our neighborhood to running in a forest. I came to a fork in the road and down one path I heard splashing water, so I chose that one and when I arrived, you were in a river. I couldn't get in to save you, so I used a branch, and just when you were close enough the branch broke and you . . . you . . . " He drifted then, unable to finish the sentence, while he knew it was just a dream he still did not like even thinking of Mayura possibly being dead.

"I died, didn't I?" she asked calmly. "It's alright, Loki, you can say so."

He merely nodded and she laced her fingers with his. Who knew such a small gesture could make him feel so reassured?

"Was this a normal dream for you?" she asked after a time.

"No," he replied and grimaced. "Usually my dreams are of Asgard or past battles, this is the first time I've dreamt of something happening in Midgard. Actually I take that back, it's the first time I've had a nightmare about this world; I've had plenty of dreams. And it felt . . . strange."

"How so?" asked Mayura stroking the back of his hand. She was enjoying this chat, even if it was not the most pleasant; it showed that he did indeed trust her.

"I'm not sure how to describe it, but it didn't feel natural, more like an illusion," replied Loki as he thought about his nightmare some more, now that he was calmer he could recall feeling some slight evil scattered throughout. It was almost as if it had been manipulated or created by someone else, implanted into his mind to purposefully scare him.

Mayura seemed to believe him, for which he was grateful. "Perhaps you could ask Urd, she certainly knows about creating illusions."

Loki smiled. "You know, Mayura, that's not a bad idea. Urd is certainly the expert when it comes to illusions, I'll speak with her tomorrow, after we go and interview that sleepwalking thief."

"I know!" squealed Mayura and Loki could not help but laugh. "Such a strange mystery! This has to be one of our greatest mysteries yet!"

"Mayura, we haven't even solved it," laughed Loki as he pulled Mayura into his arms. "We can't really call it 'one of our greatest mysteries yet'."

Mayura pouted as she snuggled against his chest. "So? The ending is just part of the fun, the best part is collecting the clues and figuring out how all of the pieces work together. But once we do, I'm sure we can put it in our mystery collection."

"Oh Mayura," sighed Loki and he kissed her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too," said Mayura happily and she yawned. "You know, I don't think I can make it upstairs, I'm too tired."

Loki was feeling similarly but he did not want to sleep just yet, he had promised Mayura an ending to the mystery he had started earlier, and he was going to give it to her. Carefully he lowered them both to the sofa, Mayura on her back and he on his side with a hand under her shoulders, he was grateful they had relatively wide sofas otherwise this might not have worked out well. Mayura knew what he was going to do and leaned up her lips, pressing them against his in a deep kiss, causing him to moan deeply in his throat. His free hand traveled down her torso and to her hips, resting at the edge of her skirt, which he pushed up shortly after, revealing her violet colored panties. Breaking their kiss for a few moments, he slid away the fabric covering her core down her long legs, gently he opened them and moved his finger up and down her slit, noting how wet she was already. He kissed her again then she moaned loudly when he started to rub her pearl, and he was sure that if his lips had not been covering her mouth, her moan would have brought the entire household to the study.

Loki sped up his ministrations, losing himself in the sounds she made and the anticipation of being inside her and with very little effort he moved on top of her, removing whatever barriers there were between them. Memories of earlier had already gotten him semi-hard and this last bit of foreplay had stiffened it even more, making it so overly sensitive that as he slid into Mayura's core the sensations stole his breath straight from his lungs. They moaned together and once he recovered, Loki started to thrust, lying so his body nearly covered hers just as her legs wrapped around his waist. He started slowly like he usually did, but Mayura was not interested in something slow that night, as evident by the way her legs kept trying to bring him into her faster. With a smirk he increased his pace and soon he lost himself in the pleasure, nothing in the world existed except Mayura and the coiling at the base of his spine.

Mayura threw her head back against the pillows, her arms wrapped around Loki's torso as her nails dug into his clothed shoulders, she absolutely adored this feeling of completion whenever she and Loki made love. This was one of the few things she loved more than mysteries and the supernatural, the others being Loki himself and her family, but this certainly downgraded the fun of her other activities in comparison. The others were fun yet nothing could compare to being this intimate with Loki, feeling him move inside her and listening to him declare his love for her in a mix of Norse, Japanese, and English. It thrilled her to know she alone could make the god lose his focus and logic, it was something she was sure no other had accomplished except maybe for his past wife. She tried not to think about Spica right now, right now she wanted to focus on the warmth radiating from her lower body, spreading through her like sunrays. All thought was driven from her mind as she felt her climax take command of her body, her eyes slamming shut and her muscles clenching around Loki, then she felt something covering her mouth. Peeking through her eyelids she saw Loki's hand covering her mouth, and then she realized that she was screaming in pleasure, just as he had promised. She did not miss the smirk on his lips right before it twisted into a look of pleasure and she felt him thrust erratically. He was close.

The coiling at the base of his spine snapped and he came hard, spilling deeply within Mayura and he nearly collapsed on her, barely remembering in time to prevent it. His mind was clouded as he came down from his high, unable to think or move as he became aware of his surroundings, more specifically the feeling of Mayura's nails tracing patterns on his neck. He pulled out of her gently and she whimpered at the loss, when he looked down at both of them he realized in his eagerness he had neglected to remove either of their clothes. No wonder he was drenched in sweat.

"Well," laughed Mayura breathlessly. "That was one mystery with a happy ending."

Loki laughed, breathless as well and he started to remove his clothes, the way they were clinging to him only increased the heat and made him more uncomfortable. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Mayura was doing something similar, though she was not being as brazen about it as he was. When she was finished she quickly wrapped herself in a blanket and smiled up at him sweetly before he joined her under the blanket, their bodies entwined intimately. Neither spoke as they lay there, enjoying the afterglow before drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Yamino entered the study quietly the next morning, he had a feeling he would find Mayura and Loki here since he heard nothing coming from their bedroom when he was up there earlier. He moved about the room hardly making a sound as he straightened up, he glanced at the couch and saw that Mayura and Loki were there indeed, still sleeping soundly despite the morning hour. Then he saw the clothes scattered around the couch and he smiled to himself as he picked them up, if his father was happy then so was he, there was no changing his philosophy. He was also very fond of Mayura, he had been from the start and to see her being just as happy brought him great joy. Yamino just wished they would restrict their physical activities to the confines of their bedroom; they always made some kind of a mess.

He laid their dressing gowns on the table when he had finished cleaning up their clothes, and then pulled open the curtains he had closed last night letting the sun shine through the window. Then he heard someone groan and when he looked over he saw Loki waking up though it appeared he would have rather slept in.

"Good morning, Master Loki," said Yamino quietly with a smile as he moved away from the window. "I trust you slept well."

Loki yawned and stretched as best he could. "Yamino? What time is it?"

"Just a little before nine, sir," he replied and Loki nodded sleepily before he rubbed his face trying to wake up more.

"Is breakfast ready?" asked Loki as he maneuvered himself away from Mayura, wanting to let her sleep a few more minutes. Yamino averted his gaze and only turned around when he heard Loki tying the belt.

"Breakfast is just about finished," he said in a slightly louder voice than before but Loki put a finger to his lips and nodded his head to Mayura who was starting to stir, after a few moments though she did not wake up. Loki then silently indicated to him that they should leave the room, and together they left the study, careful not to disturb Mayura further.

"Who's over this morning?" asked Loki as they entered the dining room.

"Just Fenrir, Mother, myself and Mayura, of course," said Yamino, handing Loki an already made cup of tea. "Narugami did stop by a couple of hours ago for his bento box but he couldn't stay for breakfast, though he said to expect him for dinner with Skuld in tow."

Loki sighed as he sat down at the table, unfolding the newspaper that was waiting for him already in his usual spot. "Perhaps Skuld should learn how to cook so we don't have to feed Narugami everyday. It would certainly cut down our weekly food bill."

"I could offer to teach her," suggested Yamino as he placed a bowl of rice with a fried egg on top in front of Loki. "Should I put Mayura's breakfast in the stove to keep it warm?"

"Yes, thank you, Yamino," said Loki as he perused the newspaper, and sure enough there was a mention of the man he was going to interview in a few hours. Apparently he had stolen another object, this time it was a metal tree with amber leaves, and as usual no one knew how he got in to the jewelry store or how he returned to his cell. This was certainly suspicious.

"Good morning, Daddy!" said Fenrir as he jumped into Loki's lap. Usually he would sit with Mayura during breakfast but since she was not here, he took the opportunity to sit with his father; normally Mayura took all of his father's attention. "It's good to see you."

"Good morning to you, too, Fenrir," said Loki brightly, pausing his reading long enough to pet his son's back. "Have you already eaten?"

"No, I was waiting for you, Daddy," said Fenrir happily.

"Well thank you," said Loki with a smile and he went back to reading the paper.

"Where's Mayura?" asked Ecchan as he floated overhead.

"She's still asleep," replied Loki with a slight frown. "Please don't wake her, Ecchan, she seemed rather exhausted yesterday and I'd like for her to be well rested before we pursue this case."

Ecchan nodded and he floated down to Loki's head, nestling himself in the god's hair as he sighed contentedly. Yes, life was very good for the little familiar.

"I wish I had a camera," chuckled Yamino as he brought over a bowl full of fruit for Ecchan and a bowl of porridge and bacon for Fenrir.

"Think there's one you could order that allows someone to see mystical creatures?" asked Loki with a wry grin. "If so, then by all means, purchase it. I would love to have a family photo, if we could include Ecchan." He lifted a forked strawberry up to the familiar to eat.

"Thank you, Master Loki!" chirped Ecchan and he nibbled on the berry as Loki started preparing his own meal, breaking the fried egg up and mixing it into his rice.

"Why would you even want a family portrait?" asked Yamino as he helped Spica gather the dirty dishes. "We see each other everyday, it's not like we're apart for very long."

Loki bit back a grin. "Well, it's something every family should have, isn't it? Besides, it'll be nice to remember what our family was like before the new baby arrives."

"Baby?!" exclaimed Fenrir, Ecchan, and Yamino in unison. Spica looked surprised.

"Yes, baby," replied Loki casually as he took a sip of his tea. "And you'll all be expected to help out once it arrives, especially you, Fenrir. As the eldest child, it'll be your responsibility to make sure your new little brother or sister is safe, I'm counting on you."

Fenrir looked appalled at the suggestion and completely forgot himself. "What?! No way! I had to watch four eyes over there for years after he was born, and then Hel! I'm not about to watch another sniveling, whining brat! Besides, you promised no more babies!"

"Big Brother!" snapped Yamino and he took the wolf off of their father's lap in an instant. "That's a horrible thing to say! How could you be so mean when we should be celebrating?"

"I . . . uh, sorry, Daddy," said Fenrir sorrowfully. "I didn't mean it."

"Yes you did," said Loki simply. "Sounds like you're also a bit jealous, Fenrir."

Ecchan squealed. "Fenrir's jealous! Fenrir wants to be the only baby!"

"I do not, you little marshmallow!" growled Fenrir and he tried to jump at the familiar but Yamino's arms held him fast. "Let me go, Yamino! That twit is so dead!"

"Which is exactly why you're not going anywhere, Big Brother," said Yamino sternly. "Now if you don't behave I'm going to have no choice but to put you on the chain outside until you are ready to behave."

Fenrir stopped struggling when he heard the word 'chain.' "Daddy, please don't put me on the chain again! I promise I'll behave!"

"Yamino," said Loki as he took a bite of his breakfast. "Please feel free to discipline Fenrir in whatever manner you see fit, you have my permission."

"Daddy!" cried Fenrir and he struggled even more against Yamino's hold. "Daddy, please don't! I'm sorry for what I said earlier! I didn't mean it; I want a new brother or sister! Please don't put me on a chain!"

Just then Mayura entered the room, also wearing her dressing gown and slightly curious as to what was going on. "Loki, what did Fenrir do?" asked Mayura as she sat down beside him, still rubbing her eyes.

"He threatened to eat Ecchan and said he wouldn't help out with the baby," said Loki calmly and he watched Mayura's reaction closely.

Mayura shrugged as she took a sip of the tea Spica brought her. "Well, if he's going to be that way, then perhaps he should be punished. And Loki, I thought we agreed we'd tell everyone about the baby in a couple of weeks when we were sure."

The confirmation of the news was too much for Yamino and Fenrir, and they passed out on the floor, the wolf still in the serpent's arms. Mayura and Loki jumped up from the table and helped them up from the floor; Loki holding up Yamino and Mayura cuddling Fenrir, they looked at each other and tried to keep from laughing.

"Who knew a little joke would do this?" asked Mayura as she wafted a piece of bacon under Fenrir's nose. "Do you think we took it a little too far?"

Loki snickered as he lightly tapped Yamino's cheek. "No, I think we went just far enough, and I'm surprised you played along so well. I was sure you'd call me on my bullshit."

Mayura shrugged again and smiled. "Well, I am going to marry the trickster god, might as well have some fun with him and get used to his bullshit."

"Bacon . . . bacon," moaned Fenrir and then he opened his eyes, making a happy noise as he snatched the bacon out of Mayura's fingers just as Yamino came to as well.

Yamino shook his head faintly, looking slightly dazed as he tried to focus on his surroundings. "What . . . what happened?"

Loki had to restrain from laughing as he helped his son to his feet. "You fainted when Mayura said we were waiting for confirmation about the nonexistent baby. I think you're just as jealous as Fenrir about having a new baby brother or sister."

"You might be ri—nonexistent baby?!" exclaimed Yamino, looking horrified. "You mean you were just jesting about Mayura expecting a child? Father, that was a cruel joke!"

"I agree!" said Fenrir with a slight nod. "That was mean, Daddy! Why'd you do that?"

"I wanted to see how you two would react," said Loki simply as he helped Yamino into a chair and sat down back at his own. "And by your reactions, I'd say Ecchan was the most mature about the whole situation. He'll make an excellent older brother someday."

Ecchan smiled smugly as he perched himself on Loki's head once again. "Yep, I wanted a baby!"

"So Daddy," started Fenrir tentatively, "are you and Mayura going to have a baby someday? I mean, for real, not another joke."

Loki looked at Mayura and nodded to her, silently indicating that this was her decision to make, not his alone.

"Someday we will," said Mayura kindly as she held another piece of bacon out for Fenrir and Loki could not help but smile, well there was that conversation out of the way. "Right, Loki? Or do you think these two and Ecchan are more than plenty for us?"

"I think we could do with another one or two little ones running around," said Loki happily. "It would certainly makes things a bit more interesting around here, and I always wanted more children. Maybe this time I'll get a few grateful ones."

Yamino and Fenrir balked until Loki started laughing then they relaxed considerably. The mood around the table was much lighter after Loki's little trick however the fact Mayura had said she and Loki would probably have a child someday hung in the air. Needless to say they were all slightly apprehensive about the possibility yet at the same time they looked forward to it, even Fenrir could not help but feel a little excited at the prospect of having another younger sibling.

* * *

A few hours later, Loki and Mayura arrived at the police station, their plan was to sit down with this alleged thief and ask him a few questions regarding the items he stole and the fact he could not remember committing these acts. They had already discussed this case and Loki hypothesized that a demon was responsible for this man's affliction, unless he had a mental instability that caused him to unknowingly do these crimes. Mayura had agreed with him, citing the irregular nature of the crimes not to mention all that was stolen, the objects were too strange to be coincidence.

They were escorted inside, to a special holding facility the police had designed for special case criminals such as this man. The entire force seemed to be on edge, Loki had not seen them this way since the days of Freyr the Mystery Thief, but this seemed entirely different as if they were living for each hour. Whoever this man was, his antics certainly had the police worked up something, which concerned Loki greatly.

Mayura stopped walking suddenly and she was looking in an entirely different direction than they were being led. "Loki," she said quietly, tugging on his arm. "There's something here, I can feel it."

Loki stopped and looked around; yes he could feel something in the air as well, it felt familiar and ancient. He silently indicated to Mayura to lead the way, her sixth sense being much stronger, and she ran off down the corridor opposite the one they were in and he followed her their guide yelling at them to come back. Mayura stopped in front of a sealed door, putting her hand against the surface, again she could feel the mystic energy and it was coming from this room. The energy was strong, so whomever it was coming from had spent a great deal of time in this particular room.

"Did you find anything?" asked Loki when he arrived.

Mayura nodded as she pulled her hand away from the door. "Something supernatural was in this room, and my guess is it was here for a long time. I think it's Norse."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"It feels like our house, or something similar," she replied just as the guard came around the corner.

"You shouldn't have run off like that," wheezed the guard. "With that maniac barely contained, it's not safe to be here without an escort."

"I apologize," said Mayura, bowing slightly. "It's just, I've always wanted to see inside one of these holding cells, I guess my excitement got the better of me."

The guard relaxed. "It's fine, miss. I guess this would be exciting to someone who doesn't deal with this day in and day out."

Mayura smiled at him kindly. "Would it be alright if I looked inside? I promise I won't disturb anything."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt," sighed the guard and he went to open the door, motioning for Mayura to move out of the way so he could. Loki just shook his head; Mayura certainly knew how to get things done even if it did mean flirting with police officers, not that he minded since he knew none of these men were a threat to him. When the door was opened, they stepped inside and he was assaulted with the feeling of intense mystic energy, Mayura was right.

"Excuse me, sir," said Loki as he watched Mayura walk around the small cell. "Who occupied this cell before its vacancy?"

"That thief who keeps escaping," said the guard. "I believe his name is Noboru Tsunematsu. Anyway, we had to transfer him to a new cell this morning when we found out he had stolen something again. Which as usual was strange, since he never left the cell yet somehow that jeweled tree ended up in his possession. And no one's visited him recently so we know no one's smuggling him these things or framing him. If this keeps up though, we might have to execute him just to make our superiors happy, this case is really reflecting badly on the department."

Loki nodded and then he motioned for the guard to leave. "We'll be right with you, I just need to speak with my assistant before we proceed."

The guard nodded and then stepped out of the cell without argument.

"You were right, Mayura," said Loki as he watched her look around the prison bed. "The build up of energy in this room was because that thief was here for a while, which is probably why you felt it almost immediately. I bet if we go into his new cell, we'll feel this same energy."

Mayura nodded absentmindedly as she searched around the bed, the energy was most concentrated on this spot and when she looked under the metal frame, she saw something strange. Without thinking twice, she moved the bed and was surprised to see a small hole expertly carved in the concrete floor.

"Loki, look," she said with poorly disguised enthusiasm. "This must be how the thief's been escaping!"

"Mayura, that hole's too small for a full sized man to fit down," said Loki with a wry grin and she pouted. "It barely looks big enough for a rat or a squirrel . . . " He trailed off, the thought of a squirrel going through that hole jogged his memory. "Come on, Mayura, we should go speak with Mr. Tsunematsu."

He helped Mayura put the bed back in place and then they left the cell, following the guard who had met them earlier to the new cell where Tsunematsu was being held. Loki had a feeling he already knew the true identity of the man in question but he did not want to voice his thoughts just yet, he wanted to make sure. When they entered the cell, the man was wearing a straight jacket and seemed quite distressed; his blonde hair was sticking up on end, his blue eyes had a crazed look to them and when he saw Mayura and Loki he seemed even more afraid. Loki could not sense any evil in him but there was an anomaly within his soul.

"Who . . . who are you?" asked Tsunematsu as Loki and Mayura sat down across from him. "Look, I didn't steal anything! I don't know how any of that stuff got here! Please believe me!"

Loki calmly met the man's crazed gaze and then smiled. "I do believe you, Mr. Tsunematsu, it's just a matter of proving it. Now, can you tell me anything at all that might be relevant to our investigation? Aside from the obvious bouts of sleepwalking and stealing, and please, don't withhold anything even if it you think we'll find it strange. I can assure you that almost anything you'll say won't be treated lightly by us."

Tsunematsu nodded and took a deep breath, obviously relieved that someone was not out right accusing him of being a thief. "There's a dream, always the same one with slight variations. In my dream, I'm a small creature and I'm running along the sidewalk, passing by shops I've been past in reality; most nights my dream self just goes past them and does nothing but other nights, it'll go into one of the shops. On those nights, my dream self will take something and then the next morning, it'll be in my hands."

"And this has still happened even though you've been in a holding cell?" asked Mayura as she wrote down some of the details.

"Yes," said Tsunematsu. "I don't understand what's going on and I'm terrified that I've gone crazy or something. Please, sir, madam, help me! I just want this nightmare to end."

"I know you do," said Loki evenly, if he was going to make his move he would have to do it before this man suffered any further. "I need you to do something, please close your eyes and clear your mind of all thoughts."

Tsunematsu obeyed with little hesitation and then Loki reached out his hand, touching the man's forehead as he muttered the word, "Ratatoskr." He removed his hand and waited patiently for Tsunematsu to open his eyes once again, but when he did there was a noticeable difference; instead of blue eyes they were black and beady.

"Hello, Lord Loki," said Tsunematsu but his voice was different now as well, it sounded smaller if that was at all possible.

Loki's face was impassive. "Ratatoskr, it's been a while. Tell me, what is the messenger of the gods doing on Midgard?"

"My job of course," replied Ratatoskr and he leered at Mayura who tried not to gasp. "She's very pretty, Lord Loki, very pretty indeed. It would seem the rumors were right about her, at least about her looks anyhow."

"You have no right to even address her, treacherous creature," snapped Loki and Ratatoskr stopped leering at Mayura. "Now, why have you inhabited this man's body? You're driving him insane."

"You fool, the man known as Tsunematsu is me!" snarled Ratatoskr. "I just asked our Lord Odin to make my transformation semi-incomplete, so I could retain my memories of the world of the gods even when bound to a human form. As a result, Tsunematsu has amnesia and is unaware of what I'm really doing; think of it as a Jekyll and Hyde deal, it's simpler. How did you know it was me, Lord Loki?"

Loki smirked as he crossed his arms. "You weren't very subtle. The items you stole were random in appearance yet significant to your identity: a stuffed eagle, a golden serpent with ruby fangs, and this latest item a metal tree with amber leaves. Not to mention the hole drilled beneath the bed in the other cell, which your true self probably uses to get in and out of the jail with whatever item you had. A clever way to use that ridiculous tooth of yours."

Mayura bit her lower lip, she was not sure why any of that was of significance, she had only read so much Norse mythology and that had primarily been about those gods she knew. "Loki, if you don't mind my asking, who is Ratatoskr?"

"He serves as the messenger of the gods," replied Loki. "He can travel between the different realms and give messages to someone in a different world, for example he can travel to Midgard from Asgard with a message for Narugami from say Frigg. Ratatoskr is also what some might call a neutral messenger, when he appears someplace and gives bad news; the recipient isn't allowed to harm him since he is not truly aligned with any one realm. When he isn't delivering messages, he spends his time on the great tree of Yggdrasil, causing trouble for the eagle and the serpent Nidhogg whom reside there as well."

"I'm honored that the dark god is able to remember such a lowly creature as myself," said Ratatoskr in a mocking tone. "So, Lord Loki, now that you've deciphered my identity what do you plan on doing with me?"

Loki merely shrugged. "I can't do anything with you, as you well know. You're here to deliver a message and once you have done so, I'm sure you'll go back to Asgard and report to Lord Odin all that you've learned."

"So shrewd," laughed Ratatoskr. "Yes, that's exactly what I'll be doing. And coincidentally, my message is for you straight from our Lord Odin's lips."

"Recite the message and then leave this world," said Loki, clenching his fists. If this was true then it could only mean that Odin was going to issue him a declaration of war or another punishment.

Ratatoskr smirked. "He wishes for me to tell you that he has not forgotten you and he eagerly awaits your return to Asgard, so that he might finish you off himself."

"Fine," said Loki standing up from his chair. "I too have a message for Lord Odin: I'm coming for him." Then he looked to Mayura and wordlessly gestured to her to stand, which she did and they started walking out of the cell.

"Oh and Lord Loki," called Ratatoskr and they paused. "He also wants to know if you enjoyed your dream." The messenger started to cackle and roll on his bed.

Loki nearly pushed Mayura to get her out of there, while he knew Ratatoskr could do nothing to her he still did not want her exposed to that little creep. Even in the world of the gods he had been nothing but a pest, though Loki could not help the chill that ran down his spine as he marched Mayura out of the police station. Odin was watching him and preparing for war.


	4. The Second Message

The air around the mansion was tense over the next few days; Loki had yet to leave his office since returning home after speaking with Ratatoskr. After they returned from the prison he went immediately in there and locked the door behind him the signal for everyone to stay away unless they had a real concern. Yamino did not even enter when he brought food or tea, he merely knocked and put the item down in front of the door, he did not even stay to try and talk to Loki whenever he would take his food inside. Loki did not even allow Mayura inside, which was deeply troubling to everyone since he rarely turned down an opportunity to be with her. Mayura had of course told the members of the household what had happened during their visit so they were aware of why their father was so angry; it was just upsetting to them that he had shut himself away. It was all a waiting game now.

"I'm getting really worried about him, Yamino," said Mayura quietly as she washed a plate in the sink. "I understand that the message was upsetting but it shouldn't make him hide away from us or the world."

Yamino nodded as he dried a dish. "I know, Miss Mayura, we're all concerned about Master Loki's welfare. What Ratatoskr told him was more or less a declaration of war from Odin and should not be taken lightly."

"So is Loki going to have to go back to Asgard after all?" asked Mayura quietly, worried that this meant he would actually leave her this time and she could not follow.

"Not yet," said Yamino putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "This might have been a declaration of war, but neither side is prepared for even a single battle, so we have time before anything happens. Don't worry, Miss Mayura, he's not going to do anything that might put him in a position of losing you or any of us."

Mayura smiled at him and leaned against him as best she could, even before her romantic relationship with Loki, she and Yamino had always been great friends. "Thank you, Yamino," she said as she resumed washing dishes. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Anything," said Yamino happily as he dried a piece of one of his kitchen gadgets.

"Could you please write out the Norse alphabet for me?" she asked as she handed him another plate. "I want to inscribe Loki's wedding ring and I'd like it written in Norse."

Yamino smiled warmly, pleased with her request and it's purpose. "Of course, it would be my pleasure. If you'd like I could find also write some love phrases to help inspire you."

"Thank you, Yamino, but I'd rather come up with something on my own," said Mayura kindly before picking up mug to wash. "And I want it to be a surprise for Loki, so don't mention this to him."

"My lips are sealed," said Yamino happily as he started putting the dry dishes back in the cabinets. "Ecchan, could you go and see if Master Loki's set his tray outside his door again? I'd like to make sure I have all of the dishes done before I start preparing afternoon tea."

The familiar floated down from the chandelier and nodded, ducking out through the kitchen door just as Fenrir entered, part of a breadstick in his mouth. The wolf settled himself behind Mayura and Yamino, gnawing happily on what was left from his lunch as he watched his younger brother and future stepmother wash the lunch dishes. Despite the worry they had for Loki, they were quite content at the moment, glad for the peace.

* * *

Loki sighed heavily as he tried to read a book on Norse wars, Odin had always been a fan of the old ways and he was sure this would similar. His anger towards Odin had increased tremendously since hearing the message from Ratatoskr and knowing that Odin had been the one to send him that terrifying dream about Mayura drowning only enraged him further. The King of the Gods had gone too far by involving his family before and now including Mayura was beyond forgivable; his quarrel was with Loki himself not with any member of Loki's family. If he was going to face off with Odin, he was going to have to make sure his family was safe above all else, and out of reach of the King of Gods.

"Master Loki," came Ecchan's voice from outside the door. "Yamino wants to know if you have dishes."

"Hold on a moment, Ecchan," said Loki as he gathered up his lunch dishes. He knew he would have to emerge from his office sooner or later, and thank his family for being so accommodating to his behavior. Especially Yamino and Mayura, between the two of them they had been able to keep the household running without his absence interfering.

He brought his dishes to the door and opened it, allowing Ecchan to float underneath and balance the few dishes on his head. The familiar smiled at him and was about to leave when Loki cleared his throat. "Ecchan," said Loki quietly and the familiar turned around. "How's everyone doing? It seems like things are going well."

"Yes," said Ecchan with a small smile. "But we miss you, all of us. Mayura a lot, she's very upset. Fenrir too and Yamino. We want Master Loki back."

Loki smiled at Ecchan and petted the familiar under his chin. "I'll be down soon, don't worry, I know this hasn't been easy for any of you and I'm glad that you aren't angry with me."

"Punyan!" chirped Ecchan. "We miss you! Come down soon." Then the familiar floated off with the dishes, noticeably happier than he had been a few minutes ago.

Loki sighed as he closed the door, he should have known better than to lock himself away from his family but he had been so angry he did not want to accidentally snap at one of them for no reason. He did not get angry often but when he did, it was best if no one was around him; gods were not known for the wrath for nothing and even trickster gods could get incredibly furious. These last few days had not been easy for him either, he missed his family a great deal and while he had only been protecting them, he still wanted to have them around. Yes, today was the day he returned from his seclusion, just as soon as Yamino started to serve afternoon tea.

* * *

"He's coming down today!" cried Ecchan as he entered the kitchen, delivering the dishes to Yamino and Mayura.

Mayura grinned widely as she started washing again. "Really? Are you sure, Ecchan?"

Ecchan nodded then spun around happily. "Yes! He said so! He said so!"

"That's a relief," said Yamino with a small smile and Mayura nodded, echoing the serpent's sentiments. "I guess I should start preparing tea soon, any requests for snacks?"

"Those lemon bars!" suggested Mayura as she handed him a cup. "They're Loki's favorite right? I think we should have a small celebration when he comes down."

"Yeah, I agree," said Fenrir as he happily chased his tail, having already finished his breadstick. "I'm so happy Daddy's coming back."

Mayura chuckled as she handed Yamino the last of the dishes. "Fenrir, it's not like he's been on a trip or something."

Fenrir stopped chasing his tail. "I guess you're right, if he had been, he'd have brought me along. Daddy's never been upset for this long, this was the longest time ever."

"You're right, Big Brother," said Yamino as he dried the final dish and put it away. "The only time I saw him even close to being this upset was when Odin started sending assassins after him and even then he acted normally."

"He was pretty angry with me when I snuck into his office that one time," said Mayura quietly as she gazed out the window. "I still wish I could take that back."

"You shouldn't be concerned about that anymore, Miss Mayura," said Yamino gently. "Everything's worked out for the better now, and besides, he wasn't angry at you. Believe us when we say we know what his wrath is really like, and what you saw was incredibly mild."

"I guess you're right," replied Mayura and she smiled. "I guess I had better put my ring back on, now that I'm done washing dishes, don't want to lose it and have Loki thinking I've changed my mind." She reached for the small glass dish she had put her ring in for safekeeping only to find it was missing. "Huh? Where is my ring?"

Just then a larger than average squirrel came running into the kitchen with Spica right behind it with a broom raised over her head, trying desperately to strike the rodent as it ran across the floor. Fenrir started to growl and chased after it, wanting to get it out the house and away from his family, barking loudly as he did. Yamino and Mayura had both scrambled up onto the counters to try and not be run over by any of the people chasing after the squirrel.

"Mayura!" chirped Ecchan from overhead. "Mayura, the squirrel has your ring!"

Mayura looked at the squirrel intently as it ran around the kitchen table, at first she did not see any sign of her ring but then she saw something purple and glittering sticking out of the rodent's mouth. "He's right!" she shrieked, leaping down from the counter. "Get that rodent! He has my ring!" She dove to try and catch it, only to land head first against the leg of a chair.

Just then the back door opened, revealing Narugami dressed in safari garb. "Hey, everyone, I'm here for my break! Is tea ready yet?"

The squirrel took advantage of the opportunity and ran between the god's legs and out into the backyard. Narugami was confused for a moment and watched it run off towards the trees, not seeing that five people were chasing after it headed straight for him. They pushed him out of the door and all landed in a great big heap, the squirrel standing just a few feet away from them, watching what was happening. Mayura hauled herself out from under Yamino and scowled at the squirrel before taking off after it.

* * *

Loki looked up from his book when he heard crashing and yelling coming from the kitchen that moments ago had been quiet. Quickly he put his book down and darted out of his office, running as quickly as he could downstairs to see what was going on and figure out why his family had picked now to destroy the kitchen. When he entered he saw the back door open and as he moved closer he could see everyone lying in a great heap on the grass, everyone except for Mayura. Scanning the yard, he saw her climbing up a large oak tree, looking farther up he saw what she was chasing after and his blood boiled. The squirrel was none other than Ratatoskr.

Mayura continued to climb after the squirrel, determined to get her ring back if it was the last thing she did, and she came to rest on a large branch. The thief in question was sitting on the other side of the branch, watching her with beady black eyes as if daring her to move closer, and she lunged towards it. Suddenly the squirrel vanished in a wash of colorful light and in its place was a something else but Mayura had no time to inspect the new item, as she had underestimated her lunge and was now tumbling towards the ground. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the impact, waiting for the pain that would hit her any moment now, when she felt herself land against something solid. Peeking through her eyelids, she saw a man's figure looming above her and opening her eyes she saw that it was Loki.

"Loki!" she cried and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him against her, which was when she realized he had caught her bridal style. "You saved me!"

Loki chuckled warmly and kissed her cheek. "I'm glad that you weren't hurt, Mayura." He then gently lowered her out of his arms though even when she was on her feet again, he held her close, having missed her presence tremendously. He then noticed something clutched in Mayura's hand. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to her clenched fist.

Mayura looked down confused and saw that she was holding something, wondering how it got there in the first place as she did not remember grabbing anything. She unfurled her fist and saw a strange looking necklace resting in her palm; the charm that hung off the chain was the image of three black metal snakes intertwined with their tails coming together to form a dagger. She wondered where it came from when she suddenly remembered seeing it just before she fell in the spot where the squirrel had vanished with her ring.

"Oh no," she mumbled as tears clouded her vision, her engagement ring was gone and she had no idea where it was.

"What's wrong, Mayura?" asked Loki, concern etching his face as he looked down at her.

"That stupid squirrel stole my ring," she said with a frown. "And when I went to grab it, it disappeared and left this behind." She held up the necklace and watched curiously as Loki's eyes went wide.

"Master Loki!" shouted Yamino and they both turned to see him and the others running up to them. "Master Loki, it's so good to see you. Miss Mayura, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Yamino," sighed Mayura, still thinking about her lost ring. "What about you? Any injuries?"

Yamino laughed. "Nothing sustained injury except possibly my pride." Then he turned to his father. "That was quick thinking, Master Loki. How'd you know Miss Mayura was going to fall from that tree?"

"I heard the commotion coming from the kitchen and decided to investigate," replied Loki, an arm now wrapped protectively around Mayura's shoulders. "When I arrived, I saw the back door open and then I saw Mayura climbing up to chase Ratatoskr, and knowing her she'd probably fall so I made sure to be there to catch her." He then laughed when he saw Mayura scowling up at him.

"Well, all's well that—Ratatoskr!" cried Yamino when he realized what his father had said, his green eyes going wide. "You mean that squirrel was actually the Messenger of the Gods?! What was he doing here? Why'd he steal Mayura's ring?"

Loki frowned. "I don't know, but I intend to find out. He should have gone back to Asgard after delivering me the message from Odin but he didn't, which can only mean he had another message to deliver."

"Is that why he left this?" asked Mayura holding up the necklace for all to see. "I mean, unless he stole this and left it behind on accident."

"I highly doubt that," sighed Loki as he took the necklace from her. "What upsets me the most is he broke into our house without any of us knowing he was there and brazenly took your ring. Normally he can't enter a god's dwelling without a purpose, which is why I'm sure he was delivering a message, but the nature of this incident is strange."

"Perhaps whomever wanted to give you a message asked him to do these things," suggested Yamino and Loki nodded.

"My thoughts exactly, Yamino," said Loki then he turned to the others. "Who was the first to notice Ratatoskr in the house?"

Spica immediately raised her hand and described with hand gestures the circumstances in which she found him. Loki paying close attention, as he was one of the few that could interpret what she was trying to say, his frown increasing with each passing second.

"So you found him in the sitting room trying to leave through an open window?" asked Loki, wanting to confirm that is indeed what she said and Spica nodded. "And you chased him out with your broom?" Again the giantess nodded. "I have a feeling he planned on doing that, but the fact remains that none of us sensed his presence nor saw him, which concerns me."

Fenrir growled deep in his chest. "I feel stupid for letting him get past me, I should have been paying closer attention."

Loki smiled down at his eldest. "Don't take it too hard, Fenrir, none of us were aware he was in the mansion. Which means powerful magic was shielding him from us until just the right moment and there are very few gods capable of doing such a thing, including myself."

"Hey Loki, can I see that necklace again?" asked Narugami suddenly as he stepped forward and Loki held it up so he could see it. "I thought so, it looks just like the necklace the Norns wear, only this is three snakes instead of just one."

"Then I have a pretty good idea who's behind this," said Loki sternly as he put the necklace in his pocket. "I think it's time we pay the Norns a visit."

* * *

The Norns's mansion was on a hill outside of town, now rebuilt after Hel polluted it with potent evil energy. It was larger than Loki's mansion and much more evident that it was occupied by females as it had white gingerbread trim and a lavender roof along with several turrets, the Norns had decided to change up the original design when they rebuilt their home. There was also the addition of a hedge fence with an arched gate surrounding the property, the only way to get in or out.

Loki and the others crossed through the gate, the magical barrier moving around them as they entered and walked up to the house. Narugami took the initiative and opened the door with the key Skuld had given him when he started living with her and her sisters, ushering them all inside before closing it behind them. Verdandi came out of one of the rooms just as Narugami closed the front door, she seemed surprised but not upset to see them all standing there.

"Hello Lord Loki," said Verdandi with a slight bow. "Lord Thor, Mayura, Jormungand, Fenrir. What brings you to the Norns this day?"

"We're here for tea," replied Loki calmly and Verdandi nodded.

"Of course, we were just about to sit down, please follow me to the veranda," said Verdandi and she led the group outside to the veranda where her two sisters and Koutaro were waiting. She was not stupid, she knew Loki and the others were here for more than just a social visit, but she knew better than to insult them with accusations.

Skuld, Urd, and Koutaro were already seated around a small white metal table, apparently having a pleasant chat about nothing in particular when the group came out onto the veranda. When they were aware of their presence, the other three turned to face them, smiling at their friends as if this were a perfectly normal occurrence.

"I see we have more guests for tea," said Urd as she conjured a larger table and more chairs for their unexpected guests. "Please, have a seat."

"Thor!" cried Skuld and she jumped up to greet the god of thunder with a passionate kiss. "I'm so glad you came to have tea with us! It's so good to see you, I missed you!"

Narugami smirked as he wrapped both arms around Skuld's exposed midriff. "At least someone around here appreciates having me around."

Skuld giggled and then they sat down beside each other once Narugami had been untangled from around the goddess's waist, though they still held hands. Koutaro, not to be outdone by the god, leaned over and kissed Urd with a surprisingly tender kiss that shocked the goddess though she did not seem upset by it. Instead she put her head on Koutaro's shoulder and sighed contentedly once the kiss was finished.

Loki pulled out a seat for Mayura and pushed it in for her once she sat down before taking the seat beside her at the round table. Yamino had declined sitting right away and instead assisted Verdandi in serving the tea; Loki had suspected for some time now that his middle son was enamored with the goddess of fate though he was too shy to act on it.

' _That will have to be remedied soon,'_ mused Loki as he watched Verdandi blush when Yamino paid her a small compliment. If his suspicions were accurate, then Verdandi probably returned Yamino's feelings. Before he and Mayura were wed, he would have to see that his son and Verdandi had acknowledged their feelings for each other.

"This is nice," said Urd as she accepted her cup of tea from Yamino. "We so rarely get visitors, it makes for a pleasant change of pace."

"I agree," said Skuld, taking a slice of cake from the cart Verdandi brought past. "Usually we're over at your home, Lord Loki, we almost never get to entertain here."

"Yes, this is certainly a welcome distraction," said Loki evenly as he took Mayura's hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles. The goddesses were aware that he had not been out of his office in almost a week, he knew that much, but they were playing it smart and not commenting on it right away. They knew better than to question his actions outright.

Urd stirred in a spoonful of pink sugar into her cup. "We heard you were unwell, Lord Loki, I trust this visit means you're feeling recovered?"

Loki nodded though his focus was on Mayura at the moment, whom seemed more distraught than she had when they left, he could only guess that she must still be feeling guilty about her engagement ring. He squeezed her hand gently, when she looked over at him he smiled at her, which she returned though it seemed forced. _'She's definitely feeling guilty,'_ thought Loki before speaking to Urd. "I'm feeling somewhat better, Urd, thank you for your concern. Though I'm sorry to say that this visit isn't entirely for pleasure."

The Norn sisters looked at each other briefly, as if concurring that their suspicions had been confirmed. Loki was familiar with how they communicated silently, and this look was not lost on him though he said nothing about it.

"Please, Lord Loki, tell us why you have truly come," said Urd before taking a sip of her tea.

"It's concerning this necklace Mayura found at our home early today," said Loki as he retracted the necklace from his pocket and placed it on the table for everyone to see. He did not mention the fact Narugami had suggested it resembled their necklaces, instead he watched for their reactions, waiting to see if they reached the same conclusion. When he glanced at the goddesses he saw the exact look of recognition he had been hoping for; they knew who owned the necklace.

Koutaro leaned forward and looked at the necklace. "Urd, this appears to be made of the same metal as your necklace, and there's even two amethysts in that one snake's eyes like yours."

"And two emeralds in the one on the other end," said Narugami and Skuld visibly gulped.

Yamino inspected the necklace closer. "There are two topaz stones for the middle snake's eyes. Verdandi, does your necklace have the same stones in it?"

The Norns looked at each for a moment before they each pulled out their respective necklaces and put them on the table below the one Loki had brought. Everyone leaned in to get a better look and saw that each of the snakes was the same; the only difference was the Norns's were separate from each other. Seeing all four necklaces together, Loki knew his suspicions had been correct regarding the owner's identity.

"You know whose necklace this is, don't you?" he asked, looking at the sisters directly.

Solemnly they all three nodded and Urd cleared her throat.

"The necklace belongs to our mother, Hild," she said quietly and there was a general look of understanding between most of the guests at the table, except Koutaro who seemed clueless.

"Excuse me, Urd, but who exactly is your mother?" asked Koutaro, hoping this was not a sore subject for the Norns as none of them seemed overly thrilled with seeing her necklace.

"She's the ruler of the realm Niflheim," said Mayura, surprising everyone. "Which is where the realms of Hel and Niflhel crossover. It's said that she was one of Odin's most fierce Valkyries and their commander before her banishment."

Loki smiled fondly at her; it was quite evident that her study of Norse mythology was paying off. "That's exactly right, Mayura," he said and she grinned. "That's indeed who Hild is, now tell me, do you remember why she was banished from Asgard?"

Mayura was silent for a moment, thinking back to all she had read about Norse mythology. "There was a battle and instead of taking the bravest soldiers to Valhalla like she was supposed to, she brought the soldiers back repeatedly to continue the battle. Odin didn't like that so he banished her."

Loki's grin grew wider, very impressed with her knowledge. "Again, you're right. Hild has an insatiable war lust, which made her an incredible Valkyrie, but after a while she started to grow bored as there weren't as many long, glorious battles as there had been. So she decided to use her powers to continuously bring back soldiers from the dead so they could continue the fight. When Odin found out she was denying him soldiers, he was livid and stripped her of her standing as a Valkyrie before banishing her to Niflheim where she still remains."

"While in Niflheim, our mother gained new powers," continued Urd. "She is now able to influence events in Midgard, and causes war among mortals whenever she grows bored in Niflheim. Sometimes she even influences events with the gods in Asgard."

"Which would explain why she's associating herself with Ratatoskr," said Loki grimly and the sisters gasped.

"You mean, Ratatoskr brought this to you?" asked Skuld nervously as she put her own necklace back on.

Loki nodded. "Yes, he left it behind after stealing Mayura's engagement ring from our house. Actually he put Mayura in a situation that might have severely injured her had I not been there, and that I certainly cannot forgive. If your mother is indeed behind this then something is definitely up if she's trying to get my attention; I haven't heard from her in centuries."

"Oh?" asked Mayura, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "When was the last time you spoke to the Norns' mother?"

"I asked her to take care of Hel when she was sent from Asgard as a small child," said Loki softly and Mayura instantly felt guilty for thinking he had had an affair with Hild. "I didn't want my daughter to grow up alone in that place, so I took her personally to Hild and asked her to raise Hel. I owe her a great deal for that."

"Do you believe she was the one who sent Ratatoskr to your home, Lord Loki?" asked Verdandi as she finished serving the snacks for tea.

"I doubt she would have parted with this necklace willingly, and Ratatoskr isn't someone to steal a powerful goddess's most prized possession," replied Loki sternly. "I think this was also meant for you three as well, why else would she send a necklace that the three of you have matching pieces for?"

"I believe you're right, Lord Loki," said Urd with a slight frown. "Our mother must be sending all of us a message, and I'm sure she intends for us to come and visit her at her fortress in Niflheim."

"And by taking my ring, she probably wants to meet with me as well," said Mayura and the Norns nodded their agreement. "Even if she didn't and took the ring to make sure Loki came, I still want to go and find out what she wants with us."

Loki frowned slightly. "You're probably right, Mayura, and I have to say I'm not too thrilled that Hild's gotten you involved in her little game. But I can see no reason for you not to accompany us to Niflheim, you're capable of handling yourself."

"Master Loki," said Yamino after having remained quiet for a while. "Do you think it's wise to bring Miss Mayura to Niflheim? I don't mean to question your decision, but Ratatoskr did endanger her, how are you sure this isn't a trap?"

"Honestly, I'm not," replied Loki calmly. "But given the fact Ratatoskr did not speak to me and deliver any kind of threat I'm inclined to believe that Hild is merely bored and is looking for us to visit her. Her message matches her usual dramatic tendencies, so we aren't being led into another god's realm."

"I'd like to go as well," said Koutaro, standing up from the table. "I've read enough mythology to know that appearances aren't always as they seem and the last thing I want is for Urd or any of you to be walking into a trap. You're going to need help if things go wrong."

"Which is why I'm going as well," said Narugami, twirling his kendo sword Mjollnir, his powerful hammer in disguise. "No offense, Loki, but you're still not as powerful as you were in Asgard so you're going to need backup in case Hild does something. We'll be in her fortress so she'll be incredibly powerful, even rivaling you."

Loki smirked. "So it's a triple date then, fine. I see nothing wrong with you two accompanying Mayura, the Norns, and myself. Yamino, would you like to come as well and act the part as Verdandi's date?"

Yamino blushed a deep red but he nodded his head regardless and Verdandi's cheeks turned a bright pink color. Now that that was settled, they would have to decide on a time and date to enter Niflheim, particularly when Hild was not expecting them, which meant it could not be today. She was probably thinking that they would be headed straight there given the fact she had stolen something incredibly valuable to Loki, but that would be giving her more of the advantage. This situation had to be handled with delicacy and strategy above all else, Hild was being incredibly thorough in her actions, and this fact concerned Loki greatly. They would have to confront her, and soon.


	5. Tea With a Goddess Can be Unpredictable

**A/N: No, I haven't given up on this story, just took a while to write this chapter. I hope you enjoy it! I changed some mythology around again and am introducing a new character. Enjoy!**

* * *

Mayura tossed and turned as she tried to calm her mind, being careful not to disturb Loki as he slept, right now she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts and having him analyze them would not be ideal. She turned to face the window on her side of the room and looked up at the crescent shaped moon, it reminded her of Loki's staff Laevateinn. As she gazed at the moon, her thoughts drifted back to the day's earlier events, and she could not help but feel incredibly upset at herself. While she knew it was not her fault, she still blamed herself for Ratatoskr taking her engagement ring and for putting herself in harm's way. If she had just been paying more attention to her surroundings, if she had caught the messenger before he ran outside, then everything would be fine and she would not be the reason Loki has to venture to another realm.

"You've done it again, Mayura," she whispered to the dark as she tried once again to get comfortable. She sighed heavily and pulled the blankets over her shoulder, there were only a few hours until morning and she did not want to be completely exhausted when they went to Niflheim. When she had finally settled herself comfortably, she felt the other side of the bed shift and then there was an arm wrapping around her waist and one going under her pillow. She then felt Loki's chest press against her back and she smiled to herself, she knew she would not get tired of this anytime soon. Now with Loki holding her she felt sleep starting to tug at her mind, and she started to drift away.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for things you can't control, Mayura," she heard Loki whisper and just like that she was awake.

 _'Was he awake the entire time?'_ she wondered as she listened to his quiet breathing. _'I hope he went back to sleep, I don't know if I can talk to him rationally right now.'_

Loki's arm around her tightened and he pressed her harder against his chest. "I know you're still awake, so answer me this: why are you blaming yourself for what Hild's done?"

Mayura worried her lower lip for a few moments as she considered whether or not she should actually answer him, but she knew he would not simply drop this subject until she did. "I just . . . I guess I feel partially responsible. If I had been paying more attention, Ratatoskr might not have gotten my ring and we could have saved ourselves this trip to get it back. Not to mention I allowed myself to be put into danger again . . ."

"No, Mayura," said Loki sternly. "You didn't allow that, all you were thinking of was getting your ring back. And nothing could've been done to prevent him from taking your ring either, he's always been a resourceful creature and when he's given orders, he follows them to the letter. You can't blame yourself for the doings of gods."

"I know logically I couldn't have done anything," replied Mayura, snuggling more against his chest. "But still, I wish you didn't have to go to Niflheim just to get my ring back, it seems frivolous."

"I agree," said Loki with a slight nod. "It is a frivolous errand, but getting your ring back is not the only reason I'm going to Niflheim, though it is a factor. What concerns me most is the fact Hild was able to grant Ratatoskr the ability to enter our home without being detected, and I plan on confronting her about it. Hild is a powerful goddess but not that powerful, she could not have masked Ratatoskr's presence all the way from Niflheim."

Mayura turned over in Loki's arms and looked up at him. "Do you think she was actually here? Maybe she accompanied Ratatoskr and was masking him from outside of the house."

Loki considered her theory carefully; it was entirely possible that Hild had made the trip to Midgard as she could move freely between realms but she did not often get herself personally involved in her own schemes. Normally she would remain in Niflheim and play puppet master from the safety of her fortress. Perhaps it was possible that she was more directly involved in this.

"You might be right, Mayura," said Loki, stifling a yawn and he kissed her forehead. "I'll be sure to mention it when we go to see her in a few hours. Until then, however, I'm going to place a barrier around the mansion. This one will prevent anyone from coming in whom I have not specified and not even Hild will be able to get through."

"Good," said Mayura, brushing her fingers across his naked chest. "When we get this taken care of, I'm hoping we can start planning the wedding, without a goddess meddling."

"We will, my love," said Loki, caressing her arm with his fingertips. "You and I and Yamino will plan a wedding fit for Asgard, it will be heaven on Earth for all to witness."

Mayura smiled shyly. "A wedding befitting a god and goddess," she mumbled, still brushing her fingertips across Loki's flesh before he took her hand in his.

"That it will be," he said, his voice holding the promise he did not utter. "Now, my beautiful Mayura, I think we should try and get some sleep; we have a long trip tomorrow, and it's easier to travel when well rested."

"You're right, of course," she sighed sleepily as she settled against Loki, feeling his grip tighten around her body. Soon she heard his deep breathing and slight snores fill the room, indicating that he was now asleep and she was again alone with her thoughts. She mulled her previous comment over and over again in her mind, wondering what had possessed her to refer to herself as a goddess; Loki had never indicated that she would become one and it was arrogant to assume so. It was entirely possible that she would never become a goddess and that after she died, Loki would return to Asgard and to Spica, well Angrboda; she might just be a temporary love and not the immortal one Loki sometimes claimed. _'I don't need to be thinking about this now,'_ she thought miserably and she relaxed in Loki's arms. Sleep claimed her shortly after and she dreamt of an island with trees full of golden apples.

* * *

The next morning was a quiet one, Loki barely spoke and the others followed his example, knowing that this was going to be a trying and difficult day. Breakfast was an extremely quiet affair even though Yamino had done his best to prepare a meal that would satisfy each of them; they all ate the minimum, save for Fenrir and Ecchan, and Yamino quickly cleared away the dishes. They were to meet the Norns, Narugami, and Koutaro at the Norns' home in order to fully prepare for their journey to Niflheim and learn what they should expect when they encounter Hild.

Loki had spent most of the morning after breakfast on casting various protective spells around the grounds of the mansion, wanting to make absolutely sure that while he was away that his home and family were safe from any and all intruders. He walked around with Laevateinn, pointing it at strategic points, muttering incantation after incantation, using what energy he possessed to increase the strength of the barriers. While he wanted to make sure no one else entered his home without his permission, he wanted to make sure that his family was able to come and go as they pleased, otherwise their home would be their prison.

"Master Loki!" called Yamino as he stepped out onto the lanai. "Master Loki, it's almost time to head over to the Norns' home, are you ready to go?"

Loki cast one final spell, an ancient one whose words and meaning were all but forgotten in this modern time, and then he turned to his youngest son and gave him a bare smile. "Yes, now I am," he replied, walking towards where Yamino was waiting. "I appreciate you accompanying us, Yamino, when I'm sure you'd rather be here."

Yamino gave him a small smile. "While I would prefer to stay home, I know my place is at your side, Father. Besides, it will be nice to be back in a realm of the Gods."

"That and you're excited to be Verdandi's escort," said Loki playfully with a smirk and knowing look. His son blushed though he tried to hide it and Loki knew he was right. "Yamino," he said, his smirk falling to a more serious expression. "There is something I'd like you to promise me."

"Of course, Father, anything," said Yamino quickly without even knowing what exactly he was promising to do.

"You must promise me that if something happens while we're in Niflheim, you will leave me behind and make sure that Mayura gets back with you safely," said Loki sternly, his tone leaving no room for argument though Yamino could not help but feel the need to protest.

"Father, I understand that Mayura means a great deal to you," he started slowly, wondering if he was right to speak against his father's orders. "But with all due respect, I would rather like to ensure that you escape as well if something happens, or better yet stay by your side and fight."

Loki smiled gently at his son and put an arm on his shoulder. "I know, Yamino, and I appreciate the thought, but you must understand something more; asking you to leave with Mayura ensures that two of my precious treasures are safe. When you become a father and a husband someday, you'll realize that some things are more important than your own life and you'll want to make sure those things are protected above all others."

Yamino nodded, knowing what his father was trying to tell him, and together they went back into the mansion where they found Mayura and the remaining household waiting to bid them farewell by the door.

"Are you sure I can't go, Daddy?" asked Fenrir with a slight whine, he looked up expectantly at his father, hoping he would change his mind and allow him to go with them.

"Yes, I need you to stay here and watch over the house," said Loki as he knelt down and petted him behind the ears. "I'm counting on you to protect Ecchan and your mother, Fenrir, so don't disappoint me."

Fenrir straightened his back and let out a low growl. "I swear, Daddy, I won't let anything happen while you're away."

Loki smiled. "Good, I knew I could count on you, Fenrir." He then stood up and looked at the familiar in Spica's arms. "Ecchan, help Spica out around the house and keep an eye out for anything suspicious, can you do that for me?"

"Punyan!" shrieked the little familiar. "I can do it, yes!"

"Excellent," said Loki happily then he looked at Spica. "Go about your normal business, Spica, I don't expect anything to happen but just in case I have put up various spells to protect the grounds and the house. Thank you for watching the house and we should be home for dinner."

The giantess nodded her understanding, her large brown eyes saying more than her voice ever could. _'Please be careful.'_

"I will be," he replied softly then he turned to Mayura and smiled brightly at her before he took her hand in his. "Alright, I believe it's time for us to leave. We'll be back soon, everyone, don't worry."

Yamino, Loki, and Mayura left through the front door with Spica, Fenrir, and Ecchan waving at them from the porch as they departed. Mayura glanced back at those staying behind and felt a twinge of guilt, though she was not entirely sure why, but she was sure it had something to do with being the outsider of the group. Even as Loki's intended and fiancée she still felt sometimes like she was intruding on their lives.

"Ready to go, Mayura?" asked Loki as he lifted Laevateinn high in the air. He barely gave her a chance to nod before he slammed the end of the staff on the ground, encircling the three of them in a bright yellow light.

* * *

The transportation spell landed them a few hundred feet from the Norns' house, so they made the short walk up the path for the second time in two days, still no one really talking as they approached the door. Walking through the enchanted garden gate that guarded the Norns' property always made Mayura's body tingle, as if she were being bathed in magic, and she often wondered why and if it had the same effect on Loki and the others.

Yamino knocked politely on the door, which opened without anyone being on the other side, though this hardly fazed any of them; a door opening without help was considered a normal occurrence in their world. Quickly they filed inside, with Yamino closing the door once they had all entered the large entryway. They stood there for a moment, expecting one of the Norns to greet them, but instead it was a small gargoyle-like creature greeted them; Loki recognized it immediately as Skuld's familiar and followed it as it walked away, the others falling in line behind him. The familiar brought them to a door, which opened to reveal a long stone staircase, lit with torches containing enchanted fire, and indicated for them to go down. Before they continued, Loki reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold coin, which he tossed to the familiar whom made a delighted sound in response before vanishing into thin air.

"What was that all about, Loki?" asked Mayura as they started down the stairs.

"You must always reward creatures for assisting you, Mayura," replied Loki casually. "The familiar might have been instructed to escort us, but that is not his primary job, so he must be tipped; even when a creature does their assigned task, it is good to give them a reward if it helped you out. That way they're more inclined to help you in the future."

"Oh I see," said Mayura happily. "Is that why you give Yamino a nice allowance for purchasing his tools?"

Loki chuckled warmly. "Yes, some reason like that."

Their descent did not last much longer and they entered a large stone room where the Norns, Narugami, and Koutaro were already waiting for them by a large mirror each one wearing a cloak. The Norns appeared to each be holding an extra cloak, presumably for the three that just arrived.

"Lord Loki," said Urd, stepping forward with a rich purple cloak, which she extended to him and he accepted it graciously.

"Lady Mayura," said Skuld as she stepped forward with a purple cloak that matched Loki's.

"Sir Jormungand," said Verdandi with a slight lilt in her voice as she presented to him a green cloak.

"We are just about ready to depart to Niflheim," said Urd as Loki put on his cloak, the heavy fabric whipping around him in a flurry. "Please, put on your cloaks, when you have done so we will summon the portal and leave Midgard."

Mayura stared at the cloak in Skuld's hands, unsure of why she was going to have to wear this in the first place when Loki stepped forward and took the garment from Skuld. He threw it carefully around her shoulders then fastened it with a gold chain, she felt like the glorious fabric she had just been put into was swallowing her.

"Loki," she said as he finished smoothing out the material on her shoulders. "Why do we have to wear these? And why are they different colors?"

"Niflheim is an incredibly cold place, Mayura," replied Loki before pulling the hood over her head. "The cloaks are enchanted in order to protect us from the less than ideal temperatures, as well as the wind."

"But why the different colors?" insisted Mayura, as she glanced around she saw that Narugami was also wearing a green cloak like Yamino, the Norns were wearing orange cloaks, and Koutaro was wearing a white one.

"The colors represent our standing in the World of the Gods," replied Verdandi, whom had just finished helping Yamino with his cloak. "My sisters and I wear orange as we are both goddesses and the children of a goddess; Koutaro wears white to show he is human; Jormungand and Thor wear green to show they are sons of powerful gods; you and Lord Loki wear purple as you are part of the Aesir nobility. The only other beings that are permitted to wear purple are our Lord Odin, Lady Frigg, and Lord Thor when he comes of age. Red is indicative of gods, and yellow of goddesses, green for their sons, and blue for their daughters. Should the child of a god or goddess be granted godly status, they wear orange. The colors do not only apply to just our cloaks, but our other clothing as well, we often wear a token of our status somewhere on our garb."

"Wow, I had no idea there was a dress code," said Mayura with a slight giggle. "Will I be expected to wear something purple from now on?"

"Not necessarily," said Verdandi with a small smile. "It is only required when we are in Asgard or one of the other godly realms, though we still do even on Midgard."

Mayura nodded her understanding, realizing that they had been demonstrating this particular behavior since she had known them. Yamino had green on his suits; Narugami wore green all of the time, and Loki she knew carried around a purple handkerchief. She also noted that while her friends often indulged in common human clothes, today they were wearing what she considered their godly clothes; she had no idea that what they wore spoke volumes about their status in Asgard.

"Now, I believe it is time to leave," said Verdandi and she joined her sisters by the mirror in a small circle. They raised their arms, chanting quietly as they did and from the center of their circle, a sundial took form from the stone beneath their feet; from her position, Mayura could see that the face of the sundial was glowing, which she thought was a little strange.

"We, the Goddesses of Fate, request entrance into the Realm of Niflheim!" cried the Norns in unison and the stone dial moved from its current position to one on the far right, then the glass on the mirror began to warp and shimmer. After a few seconds, the mirror no longer showed the reflection of the room, but rather a dark corridor that appeared to be made of stone, and a cold wind blew through the mirror. Mayura was suddenly very grateful for the cloak, the wind might have been blowing but it did not penetrate the thick fabric and she only felt the cold on her somewhat exposed feet.

"Come, Mother is expecting us," said Urd and she led the way, with Koutaro following closely behind her. The others followed behind them, staying close together as they made their way into the ice realm.

* * *

Niflheim was not what Mayura had been picturing when she thought about a realm where gods and mythical creatures dwelt; though she was sure above ground it was far more to her idealizations than this dank and dreary tunnel that they had been wandering through for gods know how long. Loki had not been lying when he said it was a cold realm, even though they were below ground the evidence of its true nature could be seen all around. There was ice on the stonewalls of the tunnel, and every now and then a bitter wind would blow through, whistling as it went rushing past them. There seemed to be no end to the tunnel, even with Urd's magical fire guiding them, she could not see the exit.

"How long have we been walking?" she asked no one in particular.

"A while now," replied Loki, whom was walking beside her. "Don't worry, Mayura, when we leave we won't have to walk this far to get back. Hild has a portal just like the Norns and we can leave that way."

"If she has a portal, why didn't we just go through it and get to her castle faster?" asked a now irate Mayura.

"She didn't give us her permission," said Loki simply with a shrug. "We might be powerful beings, but we still have our own rules to obey. One of the most important ones is that other gods and creatures cannot enter another god's dwelling without their permission; doing so is an egregious violation and can result in a battle. This time it won't, since Ratatoskr does not need permission if he is doing his job. Though Hild gave us hints to come here, she did not expressly give us her permission so we must make do with normal means of gaining entrance."

Mayura sighed, a puff of air appearing before her. "Which are what exactly?"

"Knocking on the door and asking for an audience," said Loki with a small laugh. "Not everything we do is too different from what humans do, we just have more rules and ceremony."

"Which we all must know as children," chimed in Narugami. "From the moment we can understand our parents, we're taught the different rules and ceremony surrounding them; it takes a lifetime to master them all, and we still make mistakes. We gods might appear perfect, but our flaws can be more devastating than those of humans."

"So is there a special school you go to in order to learn these rules?" asked Mayura, curious as to how school worked for gods.

"Somewhat," replied Narugami. "We mostly learn from our parents, but some of the other gods such as Frigg will instruct the younger gods. Actually, Loki was taught by my father Odin."

"A decision I'm sure he regrets," said Loki flatly. "Making me his blood brother is something else I'm sure he regrets."

"Does that make Narugami your nephew, Loki?" asked Mayura, causing both gods to sputter incoherently. Obviously they had not given much thought to this topic.

"Not really, no," said Loki at last once he found his voice. "Thunder Boy might be Odin's son, but that hardly makes him my nephew. Bloodlines and relations are not as clearly drawn out for us gods as they are with humans; we generally know our parents and who our children are for certain, but siblings and cousins are far more confusing. The Norns and my children are one of the few who know who their siblings are."

"That must make things very complicated when it comes to getting married," thought Mayura aloud. "You might accidentally end up married to your sister and not even know it!"

"That's happened before," said Narugami with a short laugh. "Don't worry though, Loki's not your long lost brother, Mayura."

"Not funny, Thunder Boy!" called Loki as he walked ahead of the pair.

"Narugami," said Mayura, looking over at the god of thunder when Loki was out of earshot. "What are the rules regarding a god marrying someone who isn't a goddess?"

Narugami knew where this conversation was headed and he wished that it had not been him whom she had asked. "I know it's allowed," he said immediately. "Most of the time though gods tend to marry goddesses so their children can remain with them and have the potential to marry up in status. Loki's one of the exceptions, since his first wife was a giantess. Then again, he wasn't one of the Aesir originally; he was made so by Odin and so some of the rules don't really apply to him. You might want to ask him for any specifics though."

"But what does being his wife mean for me?" she asked and he could tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind.

"You're treated as a member of the Aesir to a certain extent," said Narugami with a small smile. "You're already in the purple robes, and once you two marry it means you're entitled to some other stuff befitting the wife of a god. Your kids with Loki will have the potential to have a place in Asgard as well."

Mayura nodded slightly, that was not what she really wanted to know, but she was not about to ask him outright whether she would become immortal. "I see, well that's good to know. Narugami, I have another question."

"Alright, what is it?" asked Narugami somewhat defensively.

"If Odin and Loki go to war, whose side will you be on?" she asked, her ruby eyes boring straight into his heart.

In all honesty, he did not know whose side he would take if there were indeed a war between his father and his friend; he tried not to focus on things like that, especially when he was at work. He wanted to answer that he would side with Loki, just to ease her heart, but he knew she would probably see through that.

"I don't know," he admitted quietly, his head hung low. "While Loki's one of my oldest friends and most trustworthy ally, I'm not sure I could go against my father. Hopefully war will not come and I won't have to choose."

"Me too," replied Mayura in a whisper, her gaze directed at the ground. She hated the thought that someday Narugami and Loki could be on opposite sides, fighting against each other when they had been friends for so long. It would break her heart to watch her friends fight against each other.

"We're almost there," called Skuld suddenly and Mayura lifted her head to see that the tunnel had become brighter and was now made entirely out of ice instead of merely being covered by it. "Keep an eye out for a large castle!"

There was no need for the suggestion, when the tunnel let out a short time later into a great cavern in the very center was a massive castle made of what appeared to be white stone though it could have been snow. The cavern itself was massive in size, seemingly going out forever in all directions; the ground they walked on was covered in snow though it did not have an impressions left on it from where they walked. It was as if this was all some magnificent illusion, though the cold winds told them differently.

When they reached the castle they were greeted by two massive stone guardians, they appeared to be angels though Mayura had never seen angels like these before. They each held a sword and shield, they were dressed in armor and were definitely female; thinking about it more, she realized that these were stone Valkyries!

The stone Valkyries moved their swords in front of the castle gate, refusing them entry.

"I am the goddess Urd!" called Urd, looking directly at the statues. "Seer of the Past and eldest daughter of the goddess Hild! I come with my sisters and friends, seeking an audience with my mother!"

The statues remained unmoved for a few moments before they pulled their blades from the ground and then returned to their original positions. Urd gestured to the others to follow her across the bridge that suddenly appeared, and seemed to be made from snowflakes, they quickly followed her.

"You know, Urd, this wasn't exactly how I envisioned meeting your mother," said Koutaro with a drawl as he looked around at the frozen world.

Urd was intrigued by his statement. "And how exactly did you picture meeting my mother?"

"Obviously under better circumstances," he said, his breath becoming white puffs in front of his lips. "And with less people around, I had hoped for a more private meeting with her so we could get better acquainted, like it was when you met my father and mother."

"That's very sweet, Koutaro," said Urd, now blushing pink. "Perhaps at a different time, we could return and dine with my mother just the two of us?"

"An excellent suggestion," said Koutaro happily and he reached for her hand.

They passed through the open gate, which shut the moment they were all inside the tall walls of Hild's fortress, and when they did a spell was cast and all of the snow and cold was quickly erased. Instead of standing in a semi-frozen courtyard, they were now standing on green grass with flowers growing up from the enchanted ground, vines climbed the walls of the fortress and a warm breeze blew across them melting the snow on their cloaks.

"Mother always did hate the cold," said Skuld as she brushed some partially melted snow from her shoulder. "Follow us please, and don't stray from the group, Mother keeps some nasty surprises for those who like to snoop." She glanced back briefly at Mayura and Loki before following her sisters.

"This place is beautiful," said Mayura quietly as they entered the main door, which led to a grand entryway; there were silk tapestries hanging on almost every wall depicting what had to be ancient battles, the stone floors had lush red carpets runners, and there were fragile chandeliers hanging above. Down each hallway were paintings and statues; so many that Mayura could have spent weeks going down just one if she stopped to look at everything. In the center of the entryway was a wide, grand staircase made of cream colored stone, and standing at the top was a beautiful woman.

"Thank you, my dear," said the woman, her voice refined and opulent, which perfectly mirrored her appearance. The woman was tall though not awkward, she carried herself with poise as she descended the stairs; and in what could only be considered as stiletto heels, though it looked like there was barely any heel it was so thin. The goddess's gown was a rich wine color, so deep that Mayura could not tell if it was purple or red; the gown had two high slits on each side that revealed ample amounts of leg and had one down the center almost to the goddess's navel, revealing even more snow white skin. She suspected there was a similar slit down the back as well, and figured the only reason the dress was still hanging up was the long sleeves. Her dark hair, so much like Verdandi's was piled on her head, held together by gold and silver pins along with a small selection of jewels. The goddess, mesmerized by everything she did and said, captivated Mayura.

"Mother," said the Norns in unison as they bowed to their mother whom had stopped a few stairs above their position.

Hild's deep red lips parted in a glowing smile as she looked at her three daughters, her lovely face becoming even more so by the smile. "My sweet daughters," she said, opening her arms to the Norns who dutifully met her embrace, though they seemed reluctant. "How I've missed you, my lovelies." She pulled away from her daughters so she could get a better look at them. "Urd, I love what you've done with your hair, you look so grown up now," she said, cupping her eldest under the chin as she spoke, and then she turned to Verdandi. "By the gods, you have blossomed into a bright young woman, Verdandi, I daresay I'm a little jealous of your talents." She kissed Verdandi's cheek before moving onto Skuld. "My darling Skuld, how I've missed your smile and laugh, only you could lift my spirits on my lowest days," said Hild, cupping Skuld's cheek.

"You're looking well, Mother," said Verdandi kindly, causing Hild to chuckle.

"You are kind to say so, my sweet," replied Hild, her amethyst colored eyes flitting over the crowd standing behind her daughters. "I see I was not wrong in my assumption that you brought friends." Her eyes landed directly on Loki and Mayura. "Ah, I see you brought Lord Loki and his intended with you! Wonderful, I'd been hoping to meet her, and reminisce with Loki of course."

"Hild, it's be a while," said Loki stiffly, he did not care for Hild one way or another, but was being polite out of respect for what she had done for him; otherwise he would have treated her indifferently. "I see you haven't changed at all."

Hild smiled mischievously. "But I heard you went through _quite_ the transformation, Loki, spending quite a bit of time trapped in the body of a child! Imagine that, a god such as you reduced to a mere child, such a waste of beauty."

Loki let her words simply roll off of him, they were said for a reason and he would not be distracted by her invitation for an argument; Hild enjoyed conflict of any kind, even if it was merely a verbal attack. "Well, Odin could never make do such a thing to you," said Loki smoothly. "Depriving the Nine Realms of a beauty such as you would certainly bring about a terrible conflict, I'm certain."

His words had their desired effect and she relaxed her stance. "I see that silver tongue of yours has not lost its edge," she said wistfully. "Now, please follow me to the parlor, I have tea set up as I'm sure you're all famished from your journey." Hild turned around effortlessly on her heel and started back up the stairs. Mayura glanced up and saw that she had been right about the slit down the back of her dress, she then looked at Loki and saw he appeared troubled; unsure of what to say, she simply reached over and took his free hand, which seemed to ease him greatly.

* * *

Hild's parlor was larger than the Daidouji temple and probably twice as luxurious, yet according to Hild it was the smallest and most intimate room in her palace. Mayura was so intrigued by everything she saw she almost missed the fact that her cloak was being removed by a ghostly apparition.

"Don't be alarmed by my help, my dear," drawled Hild as she took her place at the circular table in the center of the room; her chair was an elaborate carving of some battle with ridiculous amounts of gold and jewels. "They're specters of battles past and are more than grateful to me for bringing them back from the precipice of Hel."

Mayura's eyes widened as the ghost with her cloak led her to her spot, pulling out her chair for her then pushing it back in when she had sat down. She looked around the room and saw that all of her companions were being tended to by different ghosts, each in a different set of armor, likely showing which time period they were from; the one by Mayura had a Spanish conquistador's helmet and uniform. She thanked him politely and then, remembering Loki's words, pulled out a hundred-yen piece and handed it to the ghost who smiled brightly at her before disappearing.

"Well done, my love," whispered Loki, who was seated beside her. "You learn faster than most gods."

"The spirit was kind to me," she said simply as she placed a pink napkin in her lap, waiting patiently for someone to start serving tea.

Loki grinned as he settled into his chair, Mayura was learning quickly what it meant to interact with those in the godly realms, and he could not be happier. _'I was right after all,'_ he thought happily as he took her hand.

"Tea, now," commanded Hild, and she watched with sharp eyes as more ghosts appeared seemingly out of nowhere and started to serve her guests tea. The table was large and contained no less than four tea services, countless platters of sweets, and several different types of teacups.

 _'It's like_ Alice in Wonderland _,'_ Mayura thought with a small grin as she accepted a steaming cup of tea from a ghost, which had already been prepared to her liking; the ghost silently asked what snack she would like and she pointed at a beautiful piece of cherry cake, which he handed to her. She thanked it before handing it a piece of money as she had done for the other ghost. Glancing over at Loki she saw him sitting with a proud look on his face, apparently he greatly approved of her behavior and she could not help but feel proud herself; she thought being in this world would be difficult, yet she was finding it remarkably easy to navigate.

"Now that everyone's been served," said Hild as a ghost handed her a crystal teacup with a silver spoon. "I would just like to say that I'm proud of my daughters for finding such splendid husbands, and that I'm amazed you'd let them meet me."

"None of us are married yet, Mother," said Verdandi as she blushed bright pink, Yamino matching her color now. "Besides, I'm not even seeing anyone . . . yet." She chanced a quick glance at Yamino before looking back at her mother.

Hild took a small sip of her tea before she replied. "Oh, I'm so sorry, darling. I just assumed that's why you wanted to meet with me today, after all what other purpose is there?"

Mayura was a little confused, they had already deduced that Hild had been the one to summon them, but she was acting as if this were nothing more than a social call and that she had no idea as to why they were really here. She looked at Loki to see if he was having similar doubts and saw a look of absolute conviction, he was not buying her simple explanation.

"Well, there is this," said Loki coolly as he took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table where Hild was bound to see it. "The Norns tell me that this is yours." He pointed at the snake necklace they had recovered the previous day then sat silent, waiting for her response.

Hild's look of surprise and confusion quickly faded to one of slight contempt and arrogance, she had been expecting this just not so soon. "I see Ratatoskr paid you a visit," she said, her eyes flashing red much like the other gods whenever they were angry though she picked up the necklace anyway and put it back around her long neck.

"He did and left this," said Loki, again indicating the necklace. "He also stole something precious to Mayura, and I believe it ended up in your possession."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Hild with feigned ignorance.

Loki was not in the mood to play games with her. "Mayura's engagement ring," he said through slightly gritted teeth. "Give it back, Hild, I know you have it."

Hild sighed heavily as she rolled her eyes, she obviously wanted to play games but relented to Loki's request; she snapped her fingers and suddenly a ring appeared in front of Mayura's eyes, giving her just enough time to catch it before it fell on the floor. Mayura looked at it closely and saw that it was indeed her ring, knowing she had it back brought relief to her heart and lifted a weight from her shoulders.

"Allow me," said Loki lovingly as he took the ring from her and slid it back on her left ring finger, he held her hand up and caught the light with her ring. "Beautiful," he said then added, "though not as beautiful as its owner."

"Loki, you're still such a charmer," said Hild with a sweet smile. "You could charm gold from the mountains easily."

"Though not as skillfully as you, Hild," replied Loki. "Now, to the matter at hand, why did you summon us here? I know you took Mayura's ring to bring us here and left your necklace as a message to your daughters, but what I don't know is why."

Hild changed her position so she was facing Loki properly, her legs crossed of course to reveal even more skin than was necessary. "Would you believe me if I said I was curious about the human girl who is to be your bride? And that I wanted to see my daughters again after two centuries without them?"

"Partially," conceded Loki and Hild's grin grew. "Everyone in our world is probably a little curious about Mayura, and if what Ratatoskr said is true then there are already whispers about her."

"Indeed there are," replied Hild, her gaze now on Mayura. "You've always been so fickle when it came to women, Loki, even when they're throwing themselves at your feet you just walk over them. Hearing that one had finally captured your heart was news to everyone, especially when we learned she was a human of all things, what were the odds? You've kept her so well hidden up until now, and I have to say that Freyr's praises were not ill-founded though they are far from the truth; Mayura's even more beautiful in person."

Mayura blushed at the compliment and Loki tensed, obviously not pleased to hear that many gods already knew about his Mayura and desperately wanted to know what she looked like. He would also have to have a chat with Freyr, and remind him that he needed to keep his mouth closed when it came to Mayura.

"Come here, my dear," said Hild, beckoning at Mayura with a slender finger. "I wish to look at you closer, and do not worry, no harm shall come to you."

Mayura stood up without hesitation and walked over to where Hild was sitting; while she did not know the goddess, she knew better than to refuse her demands. Besides, she knew she had nothing to be afraid of so long as Loki was there.

Hild's scrutinizing gaze was cast over Mayura instantly, her amethyst eyes searched over every visible inch of Mayura and she was sure they pierced her soul once or twice during this visual examination. She was indicated to twirl slowly, which she did much to her discomfort, but she kept quiet about it; the less she protested, the sooner this would be over. Finally it seemed like Hild was satisfied with her inspection.

"She's a truly delectable creature, Loki," said Hild as she rose from her chair. "I can understand why you were attracted to her, for surely no such humanly beauty exists anywhere else." Suddenly she grasped Mayura roughly under the chin, forcing her to look in her eyes. "Let's see if her soul's just as appealing as the rest of her."

"Hild!" shouted Loki, his eyes flashing red as he watched Hild invade Mayura's soul.

Mayura could feel the goddess in her mind, branching out into the depths of her very soul as she searched for something or anything. This part of the examination felt like a complete violation of her person but at the same time she was intrigued, she had never consciously had a god in her soul before and it was interesting to say the least. She felt something else, like a door leading her into Hild, it was inviting and strange so she entered through it. Instantly the goddess recoiled, shoving Mayura back into her own body before leaving it entirely.

"How?" hissed the goddess, her hand still firmly under Mayura's chin. "How were you able to do such a thing? No human can . . . wait, I think I understand now." Hild released her grip on Mayura and smiled kindly at her. "I knew I sensed something special within you, Mayura Daidouji, and you did not disappoint me."

"What did she do?" asked Loki as he stood up, wrapping his arms protectively around Mayura, whom still seemed to be in a daze.

Hild did not answer right away, instead she clapped her hands and an ghost appeared with a sword, spear, and shield in hand, though these were hardly ordinary weapons. The goddess then turned back to Loki and Mayura, her eyes clear and bright. "She has the Heart of the Valkyrie," she said with adoration lacing her words. "One of her ancestors must have been a Valkyrie, for there is no other explanation for how she ended up with such a powerful gift."

Loki was slightly confused. "What are you talking about, Hild? Mayura's family is from Japan, not Scandinavia, so it's impossible for her ancestor to be a Valkyrie."

"Perhaps on her father's side," explained Hild calmly, though her heart was racing, she had never met a human with the Heart of the Valkyrie before. "But the gift was likely passed down to her from her mother's family, which makes sense when looking into her memories. You chose a magnificent bride, Loki, there is none to compare. So, I shall bestow to her now my wedding gifts."

Hild turned back to the ghost and took the spear from one of its hands. "Mayura, this is the spear known as Gondul, which means 'wand-wielder,'" said Hild as she presented the spear to Mayura whom took it cautiously from her hands. Next, Hild took the shield. "This is the shield Eir, or 'mercy,'" she explained as she helped Mayura slip it on her arm before she reached for the long sword. "And this is the sword known as Sigrdrifa otherwise known as 'inciter to victory.' I give you these gifts, which have been made from the essences of fallen Valkyries, as they are yours by right."

Mayura was now incredibly confused; she had no idea if she actually did have the right to be accepting these gifts. "I think you have me confused with someone else," she said quietly as she looked at the sword still in Hild's hands. "There's nothing special about me, I'm just a human girl, not some Valkyrie warrior."

"It's alright, Mayura," said Hild kindly. "You don't have to use these right away, but they are tools for you to use someday, and if you were not whom these were meant for, then you would have been unable to receive them in the first place. So, take Sigrdrifa and protect it and the others, for I fear there will be a time for you to use them." She held out the sword once again and this time Mayura took it, though reluctantly.

"Mother, are you sure?" asked Skuld as she looked at the weapons in Mayura's possession. "I mean, they are destined to be used in a great battle but—"

"Skuld, you are the Seer of the Future," snapped Hild. "You were the one who predicted the fate of these weapons, so you should know that what I am doing is right. Do not question decisions made by those who have bore you."

Skuld sat back in her seat, very dejected at having been scolded by her mother; Narugami wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her against him.

"And Thor," said Hild, her eyes now on him. "I require a proper proposal for my daughters from whomever decides to marry one of them, keep that in mind. You too, Jormungand and Koutaro."

Koutaro looked bewildered at the fact Hild knew his name when he had not yet introduced himself properly to her, though given the nature of her powers it was not too unbelievable that she knew him already.

"As appreciative as I can be about these gifts and this visit," started Loki, who was nowhere near pleased with how this was turning out. "I would to know the actual reason as to why you sent Ratatoskr to my home."

"I already explained part of the reason, Loki," said Hild and she clucked her tongue. "So impatient, but I guess since you humored me regarding your intended, I can humor you and explain myself fully. I called you here to warn you."

"Warn me about what?" asked Loki suspiciously.

"Someone from your past has wandered back into your present," she said cryptically. "With the intention of taking what once was his again."

"I think it's time we should be leaving," said Loki suddenly, looking at everyone seated around the table. "Hild, may we use your portal to return to Midgard?"

Hild seemed somewhat taken aback by his response but she did not deny him. "Of course you can," she said then she looked at her daughters. "Girls, I lament that our visit was not longer, but perhaps you can come back with your lovely boyfriends? I would love a chance to get to know them better, if they are to be your husbands someday."

"We will consider it, Mother," replied Urd as she stood from the table. "I believe this is good bye for now."

"Yes," replied Hild quietly, she seemed sincerely sad to see that her daughters were leaving. "I suppose this is, for now at least. Please write to me more often, I don't want to go two centuries without hearing or seeing you."

"We promise, Mother," said Verdandi honestly. "See you soon."

"Yes, we'll be back," agreed Skuld as she gave her mother a small smile. "Don't worry about us, Mother, we can take care of ourselves."

"I know," whispered Hild as the group filed out, following Urd who knew where her mother kept her portal. Hild did not move from her spot, she could not bear to watch her daughters leave her again, the last time had been painful enough; this time was worse because the visit had actually gone well. The goddess nearly collapsed on the floor, her heart ached so much at the loss of her daughters, but she had one more message to deliver.

* * *

When she was sure Loki and the others had left she entered the room where her portal to the other realms was kept and she enchanted the dial to turn to a destination on the right though she did not asked for access to this world. Instead it connected her to another portal where someone was already waiting for her.

"You're late," said a male voice, his face obscured by the shadows. "I was starting to think you had failed."

"And when have I ever failed in any endeavor?" she asked sweetly, though when the man remained unmoved, she pressed on. "Anyway, I met with his intended, she is certainly a special girl and I can tell he loves her deeply. It would probably kill him if she were to be taken from him."

"Then he would know my pain," spat the man. "I will begin making my move against Loki soon enough, and don't worry, the Norns will not be harmed."

Hild's face filled with relief. "Good, I thank you, my lord. Oh and there's one other small thing before I go."

"What is it?" asked the man.

Hild tried to hide the glee in her voice as she spoke; she did so enjoy stirring up trouble amongst her fellow gods. "Loki knows."


	6. Mayura's Dress Dilemma

"This is going to be so much fun, Mayura!" squealed Skuld as she, her sisters, the goddess Freya in disguise as Reiya, Yamino, and Mayura walked down the sidewalk. They were headed to a shop on the corner, one where they hoped they would find Mayura's wedding dress, and all of the girls were extremely excited. After the tense trip to Niflheim, they had all been on edge as if waiting for something catastrophic to happen, but after a few days of no activity the girls had decided to proceed with Mayura's wedding preparations. Yamino had agreed to accompany them as to ensure they did not cause any trouble while out in public and to keep an eye on Mayura, as per his father's orders.

The giant snake in disguise looked over discreetly at Mayura, she looked and projected an air of excitement and happiness but he could see the troubled thoughts that lingered in her mind. She had been singled out by Hild and had her very soul invaded, that was a violation of privacy on an entirely new level and would be disturbing to even the fiercest god, and as a result she had become a little more withdrawn than usual. Loki was of course concerned that she was hurting more than she was letting on and had instructed those in his house to keep a close eye on her for any signs of distress, which was why Yamino was traveling with her now. She saw him looking at her and smiled up at him, he smiled back just as they reached the dress store.

Yamino held the door for the young ladies and as Verdandi passed him, they shared a small smile before he followed them inside. The small group of goddesses and humans were in complete awe when they saw the contents of the shop, there were dresses of varying shapes, sizes, styles, and colors scattered throughout; it was almost too overwhelming to begin.

"Hello ladies," said a friendly voice and they turned to see a blonde haired middle-aged woman in a lavender suit standing by one of the dresses. "I assume you're my eleven thirty?" The girls nodded and she grinned. "Very good, you're right on time. Now which one of you is the lucky bride-to-be?"

Sheepishly Mayura raised her hand. "That would be me."

"Hello dear," said the woman kindly. "I'm Yuri, a pleasure to meet you, Miss . . ."

"Daidouji," replied Mayura. "Mayura Daidouji."

Yuri smiled happily. "Well Miss Mayura Daidouji, I understand from my notes that you're here to find a wedding dress, is there anything in particular that you're looking for?"

Before Mayura could answer, the others around her took control.

"Something elegant," said Urd, looking at a row of mermaid dresses.

"But something unique, too!" interjected Skuld, her eyes fixed on the row of colorful dresses.

"And it shouldn't be too risqué!" said Reiya excitedly, her eyes glued to the lace dresses.

"And above all, it must be suitable for a Norse ceremony," said Verdandi and all around her nodded except Mayura.

Yuri seemed a little confused but she did not say anything to contradict them. "Alright, now that I have an idea, I'll go pull a few dresses while you ladies make yourselves at home. Miss Daidouji, you can accompany me if you like while your friends look around."

Mayura nodded happily and rushed to Yuri's side, already scanning the different displays for possible dresses, she saw a few that she knew she would like but was unsure of whether they would be suitable or not. While she wanted to be true to traditional attire for both Japanese and Norse cultures, she also wanted it to be somewhat unique and different. _'Maybe this was a lost cause from the start,'_ she thought glumly as she followed Yuri, the goddesses behind her rushing to the different areas.

* * *

Loki drummed his fingers on his desk as he looked out the window, his mind going in a thousand different directions as he watched the clouds drift slowly across the blue sky. He had been trying to figure out Hild's cryptic message to him ever since they had left Niflheim, and worrying all the while that she would somehow sneak someone into his house again; in his anger he had neglected to ask her how she had slipped Ratatoskr into his home. Since then he had been researching possible methods and trying to counteract them accordingly, though he knew he would not know of their effectiveness until someone tried to come in unwelcomed. Right now, he allowed himself some time to mull over Hild's words again.

 _'Someone from your past has wandered back into your present, with the intention of taking what once was his again.'_

"Someone from my past," he said softly as he picked up a pencil from his desk and began spinning it in his hand. "Seemingly intent on taking something from me that was once his. What could Hild have possibly meant when she said that? The wording was deliberate, she thought it through carefully before delivering the message to me, so what could imply that she is in contact with this person. If she wasn't then she could have just come out and directly told me, saving us all this trouble with secrecy in the first place. Then again this is Hild, so maybe she's doing this just to toy with me, there might not even be an actual threat."

This thought had crossed his mind on several occasions, particularly whenever he was awake late at night with his thoughts taking darker and darker roads, he would tell himself this just to make the visions go away and so he could sleep for a few hours. It was only at these late hours that he allowed himself to believe that there was no actual threat to him or his family, that they were safe from any and all harm, but in the harsh light of day he could not deny that there was a threat. Whether the threat was Odin or someone else, he knew it was there on the horizon just waiting for him to let his guard down, to show his back just once so it could strike.

"Whoever it is, he won't succeed," Loki growled darkly as he snapped the pencil in half. He heard the door open and saw Spica standing in the doorway with a tray of tea and lemon bars, she seemed a little nervous to enter, however, so he smiled at her and gestured that she was welcome inside. She smiled back and approached his desk, putting the tray in front of him before giving him a slight curtsy.

 _'You shouldn't worry too much,'_ she said to him mentally. This was their little secret, Spica could mentally communicate with Loki and often did when in the presence of others, though they resorted to cheap tricks to hide this fact. They were not sure how they were able to speak to each other this way but they knew the others could not, so it would be insulting to them to have a conversation this way that they could not be a part of.

"I know," sighed Loki heavily as he poured himself a cup of the jasmine tea. "I know this is beyond my control right now, but I'm just concerned. The last time something like this happened, we lost our daughter, and I don't want to be caught off guard again especially now."

 _'You're worried about losing Mayura, aren't you?'_ she asked, a knowing look on her face.

Loki nodded as he mixed in some cream and sugar. "Yes, very much so," he said as he stirred his cup. "She's been used as a pawn by the gods before and on several occasions almost been killed, I don't want something like that to ever happen again, I don't know what I would do if I lost her."

Spica smiled kindly. _'I'm truly happy that you've found each other, Loki, she seems to bring immense joy to your life and you to hers. I promise to you that I will look after her as best I can.'_

"Thank you, Spica," said Loki kindly before taking a sip of his tea. "It's been wonderful having you here, it almost feels as if nothing has changed."

Spica smiled and then turned on her heel, intent on getting started dusting the library with one of Yamino's new gadgets. When she reached the door she looked back at Loki only to find him with his chair spun around, and she smiled sadly reflecting on his last statement. _'Only everything has changed,'_ she thought before leaving, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Mayura struggled to put on one of the dresses Skuld had selected from the display, it was incredibly tight around the hips and almost impossible to get up but she kept trying since she did not want to disappoint her friend. Somehow she and Yuri managed to tug the dress up past her hips and then they made quick work of cinching her into the rest of the gown, Yuri pulling tightly on the stays of the corset back while Mayura tried to remember how to breathe. She thought that the torture would never end and wondered how women could stand being put into one of these dresses.

 _'A mystery for another day,'_ she thought as Yuri finished tying the ribbons in the back. When that was done she gave her the signal to leave the dressing room, though that was more difficult than expected as the dress was just as restricting in the legs as in the hips and she had to take very small steps in order to move.

The girls smiled and clapped when they saw her in the dress, Skuld especially, and began chattering away about the dress even before Mayura had managed to stand on the small pedestal so she could see herself in the mirror. Once she did she had to agree with Skuld that the dress was very unique and in the right light quite beautiful but it was hardly what she would call a wedding dress. It was bright green with jewels littered across the bodice and skirt, the material was heavy and the skirt was ridiculous as it was tight all the way down her legs but then blossomed out at her feet with a great deal of tulle giving it the appearance of a cumbersome flower. She also did not appreciate the way her shoulders, arms, and chest were exposed, for the ceremony she would have to be completely covered as modesty was required for such an event, and this was far too revealing for her liking. She wanted to be kind to everyone in regards to the dresses they picked, but so far none of them had found anything she liked.

Urd's first pick had been something in this style but was white with pink flowers twisting around the dress, and was made of a material much to heavy for Mayura's liking. Reiya had hoped her pick would be more suitable and selected a very modest lace gown, which covered almost everything and still maintained an air of elegance; Mayura had liked this one but as more of a Halloween costume so she could be a dead bride in a torn and bloodied dress, searching for the person whom had killed her. Of course she had not told Reiya this, instead she politely declined the dress. Verdandi had found a very plain and simple dress that looked more like angel robes than a wedding dress, but it was closer to what she wanted than anything the other girls had picked out so far.

"What do you think of it, Mayura?" asked Skuld happily as she patted on the bottom piece of the dress, watching it bounce back into shape.

Mayura thought carefully, she knew she would have to be tactful when answering. "It's a lovely dress," she lied convincingly, wondering if some of Loki was rubbing off on her after all. "That being said, I don't really see it as a wedding dress for me, perhaps that's because I could see you wearing it better, Skuld. This color seems much more appropriate for you than for me."

Skuld scrutinized Mayura's reflection in the three-way mirror. "I do believe you're right, Mayura, green's a lovely color but looking at it now this shade doesn't really suit you. You'd look better in something lavender colored or blue!"

Mayura almost let out a sigh of relief, while she was not looking forward to a blue or lavender dress, she was glad to have an excuse to get out of this awful one without hurting anyone's feelings. "Thanks, Skuld," she said sweetly as she climbed down. "I'll go and try on another dress." She walked as fast as she could back to the dressing room where Yuri was waiting with another dress the girls had picked out for her.

Yamino watched her leave and frowned slightly, he knew a lie when he heard one and he could tell Mayura hated that dress right away and was only being nice to spare Skuld's feelings. She had detested almost all of the dresses that she had tried on and not voiced her opinion even once as to what she actually wanted, not even to Yuri when they went searching for dresses before. He had seen her gaze linger on a few and he could tell she liked those but was too afraid to say so, apparently not wanting to insult the others. Then he got an idea.

"Verdandi," he whispered, looking at the middle Norn sister. "Come with me, I have an idea for a dress Mayura might like."

Verdandi smiled gently at him. "I'm glad someone here has an idea."

They then walked off to a far corner of the store.

* * *

Fenrir sighed happily as he curled up on the porch, letting the sun warm his body as he closed his eyes and prepared himself to take a nap. When he was outside of the house, he felt like he could pretend that everything was normal; that someone was not trying to hurt his daddy, that Yamino was inside making him a large lunch, and that Mayura and his father were not getting married. Since he found out about his father's intentions of marrying Mayura, Fenrir had tried to be supportive of the idea, he really tried. Only a few times had he voiced his doubt or dislike for the situation and even then he had tried to make it sound like it was just an innocent question or concern rather than telling everyone he thought his father was making a huge mistake.

It was not that he disliked Mayura, if anything he cared about her a great deal seeing as how she was the one who took care of him when he came to Midgard and reunited him with his father, it was just he did not like the change. The time he had spent with his baby brother and father after his liberation from his frozen prison had been the greatest time of his life, they had all kinds of adventures and meals. Mayura had been there too but as a friend of his father's not his intended, which he had been just fine with. Then his father started to develop stronger feelings for Mayura and that was when everything changed.

Once his father started to fall for Mayura, their adventures included her more and eventually they could not do anything without her around, even if it meant she was in danger. When Hel kidnapped her, sure he had been upset that his sister had taken his friend but he was even more upset by his father's reaction; he had become downcast and turned into a sort of recluse for the few days before Hel took them as well. Then he learned that Hel had used Mayura against him; showing her die in several different fashions all of which hurt their father deeply, to the point he bartered to spend time with Hel if Mayura was returned to him safely. Fenrir did not like the fact that Mayura was more highly regarded in his father's heart than he and Yamino were, and for a time he wondered if seeing them die would have caused his father to break and give in to Hel's demands. He knew that he should not be jealous of Mayura, that it was ludicrous when he knew his father loved him in a different way than he loved Mayura, but he could not help himself. Especially after their little baby prank.

Fenrir had always fancied himself his father's favorite child, after all he was the oldest of the three and had spent the most time with him before the other two showed up, even then he thought his father liked him more. He had been favored many times over Yamino and Hel, which was why he tried to be such a good boy for his daddy, if he saw how he actually behaved then he might not like him anymore. The thought of another baby coming into the picture had not crossed his mind until that morning not so long ago when Mayura and his father said they were having a baby; then he showed his true colors. Luckily his father had not seemed fazed by his sudden change in demeanor and had not brought it up since, but he was concerned that a new baby would steal his father's attention away from him like Mayura seemed to be doing. There had been so many changes lately and so many to come that he felt like running away.

"Hi Fenrir!" called a friendly voice and he peeked through his eyelids to see Narugami coming up the walkway dressed in his school uniform. "Nice day for a nap, huh?"

"It was," mumbled Fenrir as he stretched his limbs though he did not move from his position even when Narugami came and sat down right beside him. The god of thunder picked him up and scratched him behind the ears, knowing that was the spot he enjoyed the most.

"Is Loki home?" asked Narugami when he was finished petting Fenrir though they did not make a move to go inside.

Fenrir nodded lazily. "Yes, he's in his office doing gods know what. Yamino's out with the Norns, Freya, and Mayura picking out her . . . wedding dress." Fenrir all but spat the word out as he spoke and Narugami picked up on the wolf's troubled heart.

"Not a fan of this wedding, huh?" asked Narugami carefully as he stroked Fenrir's back. "Don't worry, you can tell me about it and I promise not to tell Loki anything."

The great wolf considered the god's words for a moment, he would have nothing to gain by lying and would be one of the saner choices to speak with. "No, I'm not," admitted Fenrir as he stretched out on Narugami's lap. "I'd rather Daddy didn't get married at all and things went back to normal. I miss how it was before all this stuff happened, I mean, do we seem any happier now than we were before Mayura?"

Narugami thought about this for a moment. "Actually, I think we are happier." Fenrir looked up at him skeptically so he pressed on. "Think about it, we all stayed somewhat separated from each other even though we ran into each other all of the time, then Mayura somehow pulled us all together starting with Loki, Yamino, and me. Then she found you and Frey found her, bringing you two into the loop which also brought Heimdall; she was really nice to Reiya and that brought her in with us. Mayura's friends with Koutaro and he was folded in with the rest of us, and in turn he truly brought the Norns in with us."

Fenrir was not happy to hear that Narugami was on Mayura's side but he had to agree with his argument, Mayura had indeed become the glue that held this crazy bunch of gods and humans together. Without her, most of their adventures would not have even happened. "Fine, I'll give you that," grumbled Fenrir. "But doesn't it seem like Daddy loves Mayura more than he loves Four Eyes and I? I mean, he certainly goes out of his way to save her and he acts really weird around her."

Narugami chuckled warmly. "He certainly does, doesn't he? And to address your first concern, I don't think Loki loves either of you more or less than he loves Mayura, it's just a different kind of love. One he expresses differently than the one he feels for you and Four Eyes, which makes him act kind of strange sometimes. He doesn't mean anything bad by it, it's just how it comes out."

"What if they have a baby?" asked Fenrir, voicing his most pressing concern at last. "Daddy might like that one more than he likes me or Four Eyes because it would be Mayura's baby." Fenrir started to whimper at the thought.

 _'Maybe I shouldn't have offered to listen to him,'_ thought Narugami as he comforted the whimpering wolf. "Fenrir, I think you're just overreacting to this. You've been through so much and you don't want anything to change any more than it already has, you want to know that not everything in your life will change and that's perfectly reasonable. Sometimes I feel the same way and have to remind myself that there are facts in life that won't change; like the sky will always be blue and Ramune will always taste amazing in the summer."

Fenrir sighed somewhat dejectedly, Narugami had hit the nail on the head with that one and he was forced to face the reality that his daddy would marry Mayura but even if they had a baby he would not be loved any less. It was a conflicting state of thoughts yet he could not feel unhappy anymore, now that he knew he was not alone in his struggle.

"Hey Narugami," said Fenrir as he looked up at the god in disguise. "Want to get some ice cream?"

Narugami grinned down at the dog. "Sure, I could use a snack. Besides, all I came to talk to Loki about is when the wedding is, that way I know which day to take off from my jobs."

Fenrir barked happily and jumped to the ground, wagging his tail as he waited for Narugami, glad when the god started walking towards the direction of the ice cream parlor almost immediately. Little did they know that Loki had been watching the entire time, hidden on the porch as a beetle. The god of mischief materialized on the porch and smiled fondly as he watched Narugami and Fenrir head off to get ice cream; he had suspected Fenrir of being a bit insecure about his place in the family and knew he would get to the bottom of it eventually, he just did not think it would be Thor who got him to cheer up. As he turned to go back inside he made a mental note to ask Yamino to prepare a special dessert as a way of thanking Narugami.

* * *

Yamino smiled triumphantly when he finally found the dress he had been searching the displays for, it was the perfect one for Mayura and was exactly what she had been looking for. He showed it up to Verdandi who was looking at a row of chiffon dresses and smiled when she saw it as well, she came over and ran her fingers delicately over the soft material.

"Yamino, it's perfect," she said happily. "It's a beautiful blend of both Norse and Japanese styles with just enough uniqueness for someone like Mayura. I love the detail in the embroidery, so masterfully done."

"Thanks," said Yamino nervously, rubbing his neck. "I saw it when we first came in but lost sight of it when all of the other dresses came flooding in."

"Mayura's going to love it," said Verdandi as she continued to inspect the dress. "You're rather good at this Yamino, have you ever considered a career in being a personal shopper?"

Yamino laughed uncertainly. "Well, no, not really. But if you'd like, I could do it for you too. I mean, not that you don't look great now, I just want to hang out with you is all I meant to say."

Verdandi looked up suspiciously at Yamino. "Did you just ask me out on a date?"

"I think I did," said Yamino once he realized what he had said. "I'll understand though if it's completely inappropriate and if you'll decline."

"Why would I decline something I want to do too?" she asked, a pink tinge blooming on her cheeks. "I would be honored to go on a date with you, Yamino."

Now it was Yamino's turn to blush. "Well, I'm glad," stammered Yamino as he tried to come up with something better than that. "Perhaps we should get this dress to Mayura now and then discuss the details of our date?"

Verdandi nodded excitedly. "Yes! I mean, yes, that's agreeable."

They both headed towards the dressing room Mayura had yet to exit from though they snuck a few glances at each other as they did. Verdandi knocked on the door and Mayura opened it enough they could see her wearing a white robe, she looked at them quizzically then saw the dress Yamino was holding. Her red eyes lit up in excitement and they knew they had found her the right dress.

"Yamino! Verdandi! It's beautiful!" she said happily as she all but snatched the gown away from Yamino. "Go back and sit, I'll be out in a moment."

They tried not to laugh as they made their way back to the area where Urd, Skuld, and Reiya were patiently waiting for Mayura.

"What's so funny you two?" asked Reiya when she saw Yamino and Verdandi.

"Oh nothing, Miss Reiya" said Yamino dismissively, though he was still grinning.

Urd looked skeptically at her little sister. "Verdandi, you look like the cat who got into the cream, what have you two been up to?"

"Wait and see, sister," replied Verdandi just as they heard the door to the dressing room open, Mayura came floating in moments later, her face glowing as she stepped up onto the pedestal.

"I love it!" she declared before spinning around, watching the material flair out beneath her. She meant what she said, there was nothing she could fault the dress on; it was the white color she wanted but had accents of red around the sleeves and other hem lines, the sleeves were big like a kimono but not exactly, the dress had a beautiful skirt that fell to her ankles and looked like some of the Norse dresses she had seen, the bodice was modest yet elegant with just the tiniest hint of cleavage. There was subtle embroidery designs throughout the dress on both the skirt and the bodice, which only enhanced the beauty. The more she looked at herself in the mirror, the happier she was with the dress and how it made her look like a bride instead of a girl just trying on dresses.

"Is this the dress you'll marry Lord Loki in?" asked Urd as she admired the dress while Mayura spun around again.

Mayura came to a full stop and took a good look at herself in the mirror, she closed her eyes and imagined herself standing next to Loki as her father officiated their wedding, looking down she saw herself in this dress. When she opened her eyes she was crying tears of happiness. "This is it!" she said joyfully. "The search is over, I have my dress!"

Her friends began applauding and then started to embrace her, all congratulating her on her successful mission and she was thanking them for all of their help, she was sure she could not have found this dress without their help. In all of the commotion she missed a pair of brown eyes staring at her longingly through the window.


	7. Love Can Make a God do Crazy Things

"Hold it steady, Heimdall, I don't want this falling over!" cried Frey as he tied the final string on the banner in his hands to a tree branch. He felt the ladder moving beneath him and before he could stop himself, he went tumbling down right on top of Heimdall.

"You idiot, weren't you paying attention?!" demanded Heimdall as he pulled himself out from under Frey, muttering ancient Norse curses at the clumsy god.

Frey was hardly giving any mind to Heimdall and his outbursts, instead he was admiring the banner he made that said, _'Mayura, will you marry me?'_ in big pink letters, the border adorned with red hearts and crudely drawn renditions of Mayura and himself holding hands and kissing. He was so proud of his handiwork he almost patted himself on the back. "It's perfect," he declared as he stood up and made a box with his fingers to see how well it actually looked. "My Japanese beauty is going to love it, don't you think, Heimdall?"

Heimdall took a look around the secluded area in the park they had just commandeered from a group of picnickers. The wooden picnic table beneath the banner had been covered in a lacy white tablecloth with fine china settings and several dishes of food, all that Frey claimed Mayura adored though Heimdall thought he was just pulling that out of thin air. There were pink and white balloons tied on almost every tree in the clearing, papier-mâché Cupid statues pointing in different directions, and to top it all off a ring box sat on a pile of red roses that Heimdall knew contained a diamond ring.

"I think Loki's going to kill you," muttered the god of strategy but he could tell Frey was ignoring him as usual. "So how do you plan on getting her to come over here? She's not exactly allowed to leave without a chaperone these days, hell none of us are, so what's your plan there?" He was really not trying to encourage the clueless god in his fruitless pursuits but he was bored at the moment and needed something to do, and this was better than watching sand fall through an hourglass.

"Simple, you're going to distract Loki and Gullinbursti will bring Mayura here," replied Frey as if his plan should have been obvious. "Then when we're alone, I'll declare my love for her and show her this beautiful picnic and she'll agree to be my wife instead of Loki's. Honestly, Heimdall, I don't know why you didn't figure it out sooner; aren't you well known for such things?"

Heimdall rolled his eye. "I'm not known for figuring out stupid."

"Now, get on Gullinbursti and travel to Loki's house," commanded Frey as he pointed to the mechanical pig hovering close by, Frey's trusty sidekick presently had white angel wings on his back and hearts painted on his body. The creature seemed to be hanging his head in shame at his appearance. "He already knows his job and I know he'll do it well."

"Frey, why can't you accept that Loki and Mayura are going to get married?" asked Heimdall, torn between irritation and pity. "The rest of us have, even your sister to a certain degree, but why can't you?"

Frey struck a dramatic pose. "Because Heimdall, when I saw her the other day in that wedding dress, I knew I had to do something. She looked too beautiful, too perfect to belong to the likes of Loki, I have to save her before she makes the biggest mistake of her life!"

Heimdall could feel a scathing remark on the tip of his tongue, ready to strike when he felt something in the distance reverberate off of the cosmos. He looked up at the sky, his all Seeing Eye searching all the galaxies for an answer to what he just felt, he saw something but was not sure what it was. "I have to go," he said cryptically and his hawk flew overhead, when it landed on his shoulder they both disappeared in a bright yellow light.

"What the—Heimdall!" exclaimed Frey as he stared at the spot the other god had been just moments ago. The lovesick god then looked at his mechanical pig. "Okay, change of plans, when you arrive at Loki's house cause some kind of noise that will bring him out of the house, a really big one so he's sure not to stay indoors. Then go into the house, get Mayura and bring her back here, think you can do that?"

Gullinbursti looked a little upset as he was given his orders, but he knew he did not want to disappoint Frey so he gave a noise of acknowledgement, making the god smile broadly.

"I knew you could do it," he said, patting the pig on the head. "Now go and bring me my beloved Japanese beauty!"

Reluctantly, Gullinbursti set off for Loki's house while Frey continued to primp and prepare the picnic area.

* * *

The mansion was quiet that afternoon, everyone within deciding to have a peaceful day rather than running around chasing imaginary leads or inventing crazy mysteries for the others to solve before dinner. Loki was in his office reading a book about the creations of different inventors, Ecchan nestled in his hair napping while Fenrir did the same on his lap, both creatures snoring away. Mayura and Yamino were seated at the twin couches, each with a cup of tea and a seemingly endless pile of selections to make regarding the wedding between them; Loki and Mayura had finally settled on a time, and they now had a little less than three months to get everything ordered and finalized. They had just finished choosing a musician to play during the reception, a small orchestra with a famous opera singer, and were moving on to decorations. Loki had had to keep from laughing several times when she and Yamino were discussing the music, Mayura had wanted a zombie band to play but Yamino insisted that the other choice was more suited for the occasion. Loki ended up promising to hire the zombie band for her next birthday as a suitable compromise.

"I like the red and gold," said Mayura, pointing to a specific page in a magazine that showed the colors thrown on every available surface.

Yamino took a cleansing breath, he had been hoping for something more muted and subtle but this was Mayura and he had gotten the music selection he wanted, so he smiled. "Those are excellent colors, Mayura, representing both Japanese and Norse cultures. Alright, I'll place an order and see how soon those decorations can be delivered."

Mayura smiled happily. "Thanks Yamino, I really appreciate you helping us plan the wedding, although I feel like you're planning your own."

"Careful Yamino, you and Verdandi haven't even had a first date yet," teased Loki, not even looking up from his book. "You don't want to seem too overly eager do you?"

Yamino blushed as he dialed the number for the store that carried the decorations Mayura wanted. "No . . . I . . . Master Loki, please stop teasing me. And no Miss Mayura, I'm not trying to plan my own wedding, I just want this to be perfect for everyone after all it is for my father."

"And me too," said Mayura haughtily as Yamino started talking on the phone as he headed out of the room. She flipped her hair and stood up, making her way to Loki. "Is this really our wedding or just yours?" she asked, putting her hands on his desk, leaning in to him.

Loki looked up from his book and up at her, a small smile on his lips as he took her hand. "Of course this is our wedding, Mayura. Yamino's just a perfectionist, he wants to do a good job for us though he can get his priorities a little skewed since he's been taking care of me for so long. Don't worry, he won't completely take over, you'll still have a say in what you want. Just be patient with him."

Mayura smiled kindly and squeezed his hand. "I know, I guess I'm just stressed. Who knew planning a wedding could be so much work? I thought you just picked the groom, picked the place, the dress and got it done then ate a lot of food."

"That would certainly be simpler, and cheaper," agreed Loki, running his thumb across her knuckles. "How about the next time we get married, we do just that?"

"What do you mean the next time we get married?" she asked curiously.

"I mean when we get married in Asgard," replied Loki, his emerald eyes shining brightly. "There won't be any need for such a ceremony then, and we'll get to the fun part a great deal faster if we go with your idea. Think you'll be up for another wedding in the World of the Gods?"

Mayura nodded. "Of course, besides it means so much to you, I couldn't imagine not doing something like that."

Loki grinned then brought her hand to his lips, kissing it before she released his and cupped his cheek. He sighed contentedly as he leaned into her touch, letting the warmth and gentleness of the gesture wash over him as he tried to remember what they had been talking about just moments ago. Suddenly there was a loud sound coming from the backyard.

"What was that?" asked Loki and Mayura in unison as they jumped apart.

Spica came running into the room looking terrified, her brown eyes wide with worry as she came up to Mayura and Loki, signing rapidly.

"The tree fell down?" asked Mayura, catching onto what Spica's signs meant.

"Oh gods," grumbled Loki as he gently pried Fenrir from his lap, then stood up to put the wolf in his chair before putting Ecchan down beside him. "Mayura, you wait here while Spica and I check this out. We shouldn't be too long, just finish your tea and cakes in the meantime. Come on, Spica, let's see if we can salvage it."

The giantess nodded just as Yamino came rushing into the room, looking frightened and out of breath.

"What in the world's going on?" he asked, looking at his parents then Mayura.

"The tree in the backyard fell down," answered Mayura. "Loki and Spica are going to go check it out. Maybe you should go get yourself ready for your lunch date with Verdandi, we can go over wedding plans when you get back this evening."

Yamino seemed a little dazed as he nodded, apparently still recovering from the shock of the noise, though he did not argue with Mayura's suggestion. He headed off towards his room upstairs, muttering something about buying a tree disposal gadget.

"That was quick thinking, Mayura," said Loki, admiration in his voice. "Thanks for calming him down so quickly, I know he can get himself a little too worked up about something like this. We'll be right back then we can have some lunch." He leaned over and kissed her cheek before motioning to Spica to follow him and they headed to the kitchen downstairs.

Mayura let out a small sigh as she looked out of the window, she had really been hoping for an uneventful day so she and Loki could finally get things done for their wedding, although the universe seemed to have other ideas. She continued to stare out the window when she saw a strange shape in the sky; it steadily grew bigger before she saw the outline of a pig moments before it crashed through the office window. The sounds of shattering glass and breaking wood along with Mayura's scream made Fenrir and Ecchan snap awake just in time to see the flying pig knock Mayura on its back then fly away through the window.

"What the hell was that?!" demanded Fenrir as he watched Mayura being carried away.

"Gullinbursti!" chirped Ecchan and Fenrir groaned.

"Oh gods, not that idiot again," he said irritated. "Come on, marshmallow, let's go find Mayura before Daddy finds out."

"Before I find out what?" asked Loki as he came back into his office. His gaze turned to the new hole in the wall and then he noticed Mayura was missing. "What in the name of the gods happened in here?!"

"Gullinbursti!" said Ecchan as seriously as the familiar could manage. "He took Mayura!"

Loki could barely control the rage the quelled within him. "When I get my hands on Frey, Freya's going to be left with an older sister."

Fenrir and Ecchan both gulped, neither of them had seen Loki this angry before, not even with Odin.

Spica came up and put a hand on Loki's shoulder. _'I'll go and find her, Loki, you need to stay here and keep an eye on things. This could be a trap, and if it is you need to make yourself ready. I'll take Fenrir with me.'_

Loki relaxed just enough to agree with her plan. "Fenrir, go with your mother and track where Mayura went. Above all else bring her back, but if you want, bite Frey on the ass to get the message across that he should know better."

Fenrir snickered. "I can just imagine the look on his face now. Okay, Daddy, we'll be back soon I already have a good idea of where Gullinbursti took her. Come on, Mom, you too Ecchan." Fenrir leapt down from the office chair and bounded out of the office, heading down the stairs and straight for the front door with Spica and Ecchan following behind him at top speed.

"I hope this doesn't become a frequent occurrence," grumbled Loki as he looked at the broken window, glass shards scattered across the room and large chunks of wood strewn about. He was just about to magic it fixed when he heard someone behind him, whirling around he saw Heimdall standing in the doorway, a dark look on his face. "Heimdall, I wasn't expecting you."

"I know," he said harshly, as he stepped forward and closed the door. "And I'm sorry for barging into your home but I think you're going to want to hear me out."

Loki's back went a little rigid at his words, his mind going back to Hild's warning. "Alright, what's wrong?"

"A giant has breeched the Void," said Heimdall and Loki's blood ran cold. The Void had been created eons ago after he joined the Aesir as a means of keeping the giants in the realm of Utgard away from the other worlds. The gods deemed it necessary after a brutal massacre occurred involving the giants, and he had offered to create the space, using half of his power as a sacrifice to ensure that no soul could pass through successfully. If a giant had now slipped through, then that meant . . .

"Do you know where it is now?" he asked, trying to keep his emotions in check.

Heimdall shook his head. "I'm sorry to say I don't, I was only able to feel the breach and determine the occurrence, I have yet to locate the giant in question. It can't hide forever and when it reappears you will be the first to know."

"Keep this to yourself, Heimdall," said Loki severely, his eyes flashing red for a moment. "There's no need to cause panic amongst our friends without knowing the giant's location, for all we know the other gods are already handling the situation."

"True, though I saw no movement in Asgard when I looked," said Heimdall bitterly. It was frustrating him to no end that the giant had been able to evade his all Seeing Eye, however, there was nothing he could do about that now. "I shall maintain my watch on the situation and alert you the moment something develops. Again, I'm sorry for intruding in your home."

"That's fine, Heimdall, you came with a purpose," said Loki calmly though his thoughts and emotions were rolling like the sea. "I can't say the same thing about Gullinbursti."

Heimdall looked down guiltily. "So that explains the window, I guess."

Loki nodded as he glared at the mess the mechanical pig had made. "He came in and took Mayura, probably to Frey's location, and broke not only the window but one of the trees in my backyard. Likely a means of drawing me out so he could take Mayura."

"What are you going to do to Frey?" asked Heimdall, partly out of curiosity and the other part out of concern for his roommate.

"I'm not sure right now," replied Loki with a shrug. "I guess it depends on the condition Mayura returns to me in."

"You know Frey wouldn't hurt Mayura, Loki," said Heimdall sincerely. "He's an idiot and pretty dense at times, but he's no brute. Besides, he's in love with her, so he definitely won't do anything that might put her in danger."

Loki snorted. "He's infatuated with her, he's not in love with her, I am. I stayed on Midgard to be with her, I've sacrificed a great deal to have her by my side, Frey hasn't."

Heimdall rolled his eye; honestly he grew tired of the gods competing for Mayura's affection as if she were a mere pawn. He had seen much and decided now was the time to tell Loki. "Yes, Loki, we all know about your so called noble love for Mayura. How you sacrificed your place in Asgard for her, but did you ever stop to think what she's sacrificed for you? You have your former wife living here with you, and in order to have you, Mayura has to put up with that fact. She also had to look past the lies you projected as the truth, sacrifice her normal existence as a human to accept the burden of being the wife of a god.

"If you love her as much as you say you do, you wouldn't make this situation more difficult on her than it has to be, but no, you make things worse with talk of Asgard and her responsibilities as your wife. Frey might be overly zealous but at least all he wants is for Mayura to simply love him, nothing else except that! You want someone who'll fit into the grand plans you have for yourself, as more of a trophy than anything else. You're despicable, Loki, and Mayura certainly deserves better!"

Angry magic shot off Loki when Heimdall was finished speaking, the sheer force of such energy would have made lesser beings die from fright but the all seeing god stayed in his place as he waited for Loki's response.

"Leave," breathed Loki furiously. "Now."

"Gladly," was Heimdall's simple reply and he left the room.

Loki could barely contain his rage, Heimdall had not only verbally chastised him for his perceived wrongdoings, he had forced him to look at his previous actions in a new light. Had he really stayed on Midgard for Mayura or for himself? He could swear all day that it had been for Mayura but could he even believe that anymore, considering all he did was talk about when they finally returned to Asgard? Heimdall's report and his berating weighed heavily on his mind; both fighting to be the dominant problem to deal with, ultimately though the news regarding his relationship became prominent. The giant he could handle later, Mayura needed his full attention now.

* * *

Gullinbursti finally landed at the picnic area Frey had set up, Mayura having resigned herself to the situation once she realized she was not in any immediate danger. When the mechanical pig landed she slid off gracefully only to almost slam into Frey who was on his knees with a large bouquet of roses in his arms.

"My Japanese beauty!" he cried when he saw her. "I'm so glad you're here, I was starting to think that you weren't coming after all."

"Why'd you have Gullinbursti bring me here, Frey?" she asked as Frey shoved some of the flowers into her arms before pushing her towards the table. She saw several dishes well prepared, all of them mouthwatering and tempting but she was still confused as to why he had gone through all of this trouble just to have a meal with her. He could have just asked.

"I have a surprise for you," he said happily as he pulled out a seat for her, she sat down and he immediately moved to the chair across from her. He then pulled a black box from somewhere in his cape and put it in front of her, his eager eyes beckoning her to open it.

Hesitantly, Mayura picked up the box and opened it, finding a rather large diamond ring nestled in the black velvet she looked up to see Frey snapping his fingers and a banner appearing that read, _'Mayura, will you marry me?'_ She saw Frey's expression and knew he was serious about this, which was why her response was even more difficult to give.

"I'm sorry, Frey," she said softly, closing the ring box and sliding it back to him. "But I can't marry you, I don't love you like that, I love Loki and I want to spend whatever time I have with him."

Frey was not about to let that stop him. "But Loki's hardly deserving of you! He doesn't appreciate you the way I do, he could never love you like I do! I could have returned to Asgard as well as he could, yet I stayed because I wanted to be with you, I wanted to make you my bride the same as he. Are his intentions the more noble because he told you first?"

Mayura smiled kindly at the love struck god. "It's not a matter of who told me why they stayed on Earth first, it's a matter of who I love, and in my heart I know I love Loki. I've known for quite a while that my heart will always belong to him, regardless of anything that comes between us, and I wish you will find someone far more deserving of your affection. You clearly have a lot of love in your heart and you deserve someone who will give the same amount of love back to you." She then stood up, though she was still smiling. "I have a feeling you'll find someone perfect for you soon, Frey, just be patient."

She then began walking towards the area beyond the clearing, leaving Frey with his thoughts and heart. He watched her go and while he was sad to see her leave, he could not help but reflect on her words and realize how wrong about love he had actually been. Looking around at the space he had tried to make perfect based on his romantic views, it suddenly looked so silly compared to the beautiful gift Mayura had just given him. Whether she knew it or not, she had shown him what true love really looked like, and it was far more picturesque than he had ever thought. With a small sigh he put the ring back in his pocket.

"Come, Gullinbursti, let's go home," said Frey as he detached the wings his friend's back then he hopped on and they flew away.

Fenrir poked his head out from the bushes, looking around to make sure the coast was completely clear before he, Spica, and Ecchan fully stepped out from their hiding spot.

"Thank the gods," he said as he looked in the direction Mayura had left before heading to the table. "I thought we were going to have to step in there for a second, lucky for us Mayura talked Frey off the edge."

Spica nodded as she picked up Fenrir and put him on the table, the wolf having mentioned while they were hiding that he was hungry. The wolf began eating the feast left behind by Frey, Ecchan helping himself to some of the fruit as Spica kept watch, her eyes locked on the direction Mayura had left. When she heard Mayura's declaration of love, she had been immediately washed in a wave of guilt, knowing that the young woman was being put through a great deal and some of it was her fault. _'I'm sorry, Mayura,'_ she thought. _'I promise I'll make this up to you.'_

* * *

Yamino was practically sprinting to the café he had agreed to meet Verdandi at that afternoon, he was almost about to be inexcusably late and wanted to get there before she decided that she had waited long enough and left. He chided himself for being so impractical about helping his father repair the broken window in the study, he was going to be moderately late when he originally left his room, then he had to go and ask his father if he could assist him. Even though he knew he was going to be pushing his luck, he just could not say no when asked. _'I need to work on that,'_ he thought ruefully.

The café was just a few feet from where he was currently and he saw Verdandi waiting by the iron wrought fence, wearing a beautiful pink dress very befitting the lovely summer day. She was looking around nervously when he saw her and then her gaze fell on him and she instantly smiled, he ran straight to her, stopping just short of running her over. When he caught his breath he stood up straight and smiled.

"You look beautiful, Verdandi," he said before he could stop himself and then blushed furiously when he heard her giggling.

"Thank you, I wasn't so sure about the dress," she admitted but she too was smiling. "You look quite handsome yourself, Yamino."

Yamino rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I thought the shirt and khakis were more appropriate than my work attire. The shirt is pure cotton all the way from Ireland and the pants are handmade from a company in the United States."

"Very interesting," she said pleasantly. "Now, how about lunch? I believe there's still some time before they run out of those strawberry tarts you enjoy so much."

"Yes, let's get a table," he said and they headed towards the entrance. Yamino tentatively reached out and gently held the tips of Verdandi's fingers, surprised when he felt her squeeze his hand, the gesture relaxing him instantly. They were about to enter the café when a cold wind blew sharply, chilling them instantly to the bone, and the most extraordinary sight then followed the wind: snow.


	8. Vacations for Gods are Never Vacations

**A/N: Adult content in this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Loki glared out of his freshly repaired office window, watching as the snow swirled and danced around outside, the sight would have been incredibly beautiful if not for the fact it was the middle of June. The sudden change in the weather concerned Loki greatly, even more so when he discovered that it was only their city being affected by the freak blizzard, almost as if it were a message. That was why he had summoned the other gods to his house to discuss possible reasons for this storm.

"There has to be a reason," he muttered to himself before turning around to address the others. "As I'm sure you're all aware, we've had a sudden and unexpected change in our current weather patterns, more specifically in our city alone. This is highly disturbing as it appears we have been singled out by someone, someone who knows where we are and has power that rivals our own."

"Which can only mean we're being targeted," said Narugami sourly. "Either us as a group or one of us alone, but given the scope of the storm it doesn't give us a means of narrowing down the target."

Heimdall nodded. "I agree with Thor, whether the rest of the world knows it or not, we are the targets of this assault but while we stay together we have no clear means of determining which of us is to be attacked. Then again, we gods might not be the targets but our human companions." He looked at both Koutaro and Mayura. "If that's so then either Urd or Loki could be the one being lured."

Urd's grip on Koutaro's arm tightened as did Loki's on Mayura's shoulder.

"Hang on, we can't even be sure that any of us are being targeted," drawled Koutaro. "This could just be a result of having so many powerful beings in the same area at once, not a warning from another that he's preparing an attack. For all we know this could just be Hild's way of telling us to return to her castle."

"As true as that might be," said Urd slowly, unsure of which side of the argument to take. "We shouldn't rule out the possibility that someone is hunting us, given the scope of this storm. Finding out what my mother is up to will not be difficult, my sisters and I can just ask her, she doesn't lie to us."

"But that doesn't clear up who the target is," chimes in Freya, who was sitting beside her brother, Fenrir on her lap. "The only one we can effectively rule out is Thor, since his father would kill anyone who tried to harm him. The rest of us are still possibilities."

Frey nodded. "I agree with Freya, Thor is likely not the target but we should keep him with us anyway, we can ensure our safety that way."

Narugami glared at Frey and Freya. "Hell no, there's no way I'm going to be some shield just to protect you!" He then looked at Heimdall whom was sitting beside Frey. "Heimdall, have you seen anything at all? Anything that might give us a clue to our attacker?"

Heimdall did not answer right away, instead he looked to Loki silently asking his permission to disclose what he knew, Loki nodded so he knew it was fine. "There was a breach in the Void the other day," he replied, a collective gasp echoing in the room. "A giant escaped, though I can't seem to find him."

Silence descended on the room as they absorbed the information. They all knew that nothing should be able to get through the Void, Loki had seen to it himself by locking away half of his power to maintain the barrier, this very act is what allowed him to live with the Aesir. Now if the barrier was weakening, then there was a chance for all out war with the giants, never mind Odin.

"Loki," said Narugami, looking up at the god. "What does this mean?"

"It means we're all in danger," replied Loki darkly. "Even those on Midgard, despite the fact giants don't care for human company, they do enjoy causing trouble for them. If it comes here or is here, we should all be on high alert, especially now with this weather creating an environment similar to Utgard. While staying here would be preferable, we might want to consider leaving for a time, to make sure that we are safe to be here."

"But where do we go?" asked Skuld, clinging to Narugami. "Our homes are here, our protective spells are here, where else can we go?"

Koutaro thought for a moment then came up with an idea. "My parents own a beach home a good distance away from here, the house is big enough that all of us could stay there comfortably. My parents told me I could use it whenever I want for as long as I want, since they won't be able to make it out there. Then you can have your protective spells in place so you won't have to worry about being in a temporary place."

The gods exchanged a look of both hope and fear, while they liked the idea of being someplace far away from the immediate danger, they were not sure they should leave in the first place. Some of them felt like it was safer to just barricade in their homes against the threat while the rest thought leaving would be a much better idea.

"I'd be fine with leaving," said Mayura, looking around at the others from her position in Loki's office chair. "If you think about it, the person hunting us knows where we are hence why the storm is only in our city. Staying would just make his plans easier, moving to a different place means he would have to rethink his plans and gives us time to defend ourselves."

"Mayura makes a good point," said Urd thoughtfully. "Staying would make our attacker's job much easier and I don't know about the rest of you but I certainly don't want to sit around waiting for death. I would rather give myself time to prepare."

"I agree with Urd and Mayura," said Verdandi sternly, Yamino nodding beside her.

"So are we in agreement that leaving for Koutaro's family's beach house is the best course of action?" asked Loki, addressing the rest of the room.

Slowly those in the room began nodding their heads, they might have been somewhat hesitant to leave but they knew it was the right way of handling this situation.

"Good," said Loki evenly, he then turned his attention to Yamino and Spica. "Could you two please prepare the spare rooms for our guests? The Norns and Freya in one room; Frey, Heimdall, Koutaro, and Thunder Boy in another if you please. We should all stay here for the night, it would be safer, so you can all return home and collect what you think you'll need for this trip and return here for dinner. We'll leave first thing in the morning, as long as you're all agreeable."

"Sounds like a good plan, Loki," said Koutaro as he and Urd stood up. "The Norns, Narugami and I will head over to the house after we've spoken with my parents about using the beach house. I'm sure there won't be any problem getting them to agree."

"Alright then," said Loki as Skuld, Verdandi, and Narugami followed Urd and Koutaro out of the office. "Freya, you might want to inform Mino that you'll be leaving with us so he won't wonder where Reiya's gone to. Heimdall, Frey, you're free to go as well to gather your things."

The remaining gods stood up and left the room without another word, knowing that the more senior god of the group had formally dismissed them. When they were gone, Loki relaxed his posture and sighed heavily, this was not what he wanted to be dealing with now not when there were so many other pressing matters.

"Loki," said Mayura, noticing his change in posture. "Loki, are you alright?"

He looked down at her and smiled. "Yes, I'm just a little tired. You should go get ready yourself, we both know how long it takes you to pack for any trip."

Mayura smiled at his teasing but was not convinced about his state of mind though she knew better than to press him. "Loki, I was just thinking, what about my father? Isn't it likely that if this mysterious attacker knows about all of you, he'll know about me and my father as well?"

"Yes, I suppose you're right," agreed Loki as he played with a piece of her hair. "We should try and protect him as well, considering if we're gone he might become a means of luring us back into a trap. Go ahead and call him, invite him to go with us and don't take no for an answer."

She bounced up from his chair and headed for door but when she saw the apprehensive look on his face, she ran back and embraced him tightly. "Don't worry, Loki, everything will be fine," she said soothingly and she felt him relax even more as he returned the gesture.

"I'm sure you're right," he said into her hair. "Now, go call your father. I'll be waiting here when you get back."

Mayura pulled away, kissing the corner of his mouth before heading back to the door, wondering if Loki actually believed things would work out.

* * *

That night Loki could not sleep, every time he closed his eyes all he saw was a giant coming to destroy his home and it kept him awake. Everything was going well so far, the others had arrived without incident including Mayura's father, and they proceeded to have a very lively dinner and a pleasant evening. Nothing had gone wrong and right now they were all safe in their rooms, ready to head out tomorrow after breakfast for an extended vacation. These reassurances, however, did not quell Loki's troubled mind.

He turned over and looked at Mayura's sleeping form, wondering for a moment how he ever slept without her beside him. Tentatively he reached out and brushed his fingertips across her cheek, marveling at her uncanny ability to sleep like the dead, at least when she was able to sleep, he knew she had trouble sometimes especially after a nightmare. She had never told him what they were about but they always were terrifying to her, and she would often wake up crying if she had one. Lately she had not but that did not mean it could not happen at a moment's notice.

"Loki," he heard her say quietly and he returned his gaze to her face, finding her very much awake. "Loki, are you okay?"

Loki sighed heavily as they moved closer together, their limbs wrapping around the other effortlessly. "No, I'm not. I'm scared, Mayura, scared that something's going to happen and that I can't stop it no matter what I do. I have a feeling this business with the giant isn't all there is to this mystery, that something even more sinister is on the horizon."

Mayura's grip on Loki tightened and she felt a cold chill run down her back, whenever Loki spoke of something bad about to happen she knew she would be crazy not to believe him. He had yet to be wrong about anything like this before, so it was unlikely he would be wrong now despite her hopes.

"Will something bad happen now?" she whispered, dreading his response.

"No, but soon," he replied, holding onto her now like his life depended on it. "Oh gods, Mayura, for once I want to be wrong."

She pulled away and cupped his cheek. "You can pretend to be wrong for one night, can't you?" Before he could answer, she kissed him passionately, chasing all thought from his mind.

Loki groaned when she slipped her tongue past his lips, his fingers tangling in her silky tresses as he pulled her on top of him, refusing to break contact even as she straddled his waist. He could feel the heat from her core warming his cock and he almost lost all sense of time and space as she kissed across his jaw and down his neck, nibbling a few places as she went, her fingers dragged across his bare chest to his pants waistband. Within seconds she had it untied and pulled down a few inches past his hips, releasing his half hard member. She moved down his body, kissing and biting as she went until she reached his cock, she licked up the length of his shaft a few times making his eyes cross.

Mayura grinned as she listened to Loki's moans, relishing in the fact she had him completely at her mercy as her tongue swirled around the tip taking up the salty, clear bead that had formed on the end. Without wasting another second she took him in her mouth, enveloping as much as she could before she started to move her head, sucking lightly on his member as she did. Using her closest hand, she wrapped it around the rest of his cock, pumping it in time with her movements as her other hand traveled up and scratched at his chest eliciting even louder moans from the god. As she continued, his hips began to thrust up and she tried not to smile as she became absorbed in her task, losing herself in the sounds and taste of him; she could tell he was close when his thrusting became erratic but suddenly he tried to pull away and she looked up confused.

"I can't—I can't," he panted and she sat up, releasing her hold on his cock. "I need—I need you. Please."

She understood what he meant and as quickly as she could she pulled off her panties before moving back on top of him very glad that she had worn one of her short nightgowns that night. Without a word she positioned his cock beneath her entrance and sheathed him wholly in her heat, making them both cry out in pleasure as she started to rock against him, trying to set a decent pace and rhythm. Loki managed to lift his hands to hold onto her waist, assisting her in setting the pace as he started to thrust when she would come down on his cock. Mayura's hands shot out and she braced herself against his chest, their voices mingling as they neared their climax, heads thrown back in abandon moments before they shattered. Loki slammed into Mayura as he released his seed while she milked him, the pleasure almost too much for him to take. Once they came down from their euphoria, Mayura moved off of him and laid beside him, her arm wrapped loosely around his chest as he held her close, kissing her sweat drenched forehead.

"I love you," he whispered, barely able to keep his eyes open.

"I love you, too," he heard her whisper back moments before sleep overwhelmed him, his last thoughts of how he would need to spend some time with Mayura during their vacation.

* * *

The next morning the gods and humans made a swift departure from Loki's manor, eating the quick breakfast Yamino and Spica prepared before taking their things out to Loki's limousine, then climbing into the luxurious car. Yamino, Spica, and Ecchan sat up in the driver's portion while the other gods and the humans stretched out in the back. Loki and Mayura took up the entire backbench so Loki could lay down in an attempt to suppress his carsickness, Fenrir laid dutifully on his father's abdomen, Loki's head in Mayura's lap. Frey and Freya sat together with Gullinbursti at their feet, Heimdall sat in between Frey and Daidouji who was shaking his head at Loki's current position. The Norns sat opposite them with Koutaro and Narugami beside their respective girlfriends, Verdandi had moved as close as she could to the divider between the cab and driver's portion so she could be close to Yamino. They pulled away from the mansion and instantly Loki felt sick although he managed not to retch through sheer will alone.

"Please tell me we're almost there," groaned Loki as sweat broke out on his brow. Mayura quickly wiped it away with her handkerchief but that did nothing to help the churning in his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Master Loki," said Yamino from the front. "Once we get out of the city, we should be able to travel at faster speeds and arrive sooner."

Loki closed his eyes and tried to enjoy Mayura's humming but all he could feel was the car and every little move it made. He wished someone would speak to distract him from his agony but no one was speaking, probably too tired since they had risen before most of them did normally.

"Maybe we should discuss the wedding ceremony, Daddy," said Mayura as if sensing Loki's need for a distraction. "It's not too far away and we need to make sure everything's been divided equally between Norse and Japanese traditions."

Daidouji nodded and moved so he was sitting on the edge of his seat, looking directly at Mayura and Loki. "I understand that your dress is the traditional white, correct?"

Mayura nodded as she caressed Loki's cheek. "Yep, but no other details, I want Loki to be surprised."

Loki gave a strained chuckle. "It's a surprise enough to have you for my bride, Mayura."

"Still, I don't want you to know," said Mayura firmly as she smiled down at him before looking back at her father. "Loki and I have also agreed on traditional Norse rings for our wedding bands, as well as having it outside of the temple."

Daidouji raised an eyebrow. "Why outside of the temple?"

"Norse weddings are usually held outside," explained Mayura as Loki snuggled against her thighs. "And I still wanted to get married by you at the temple, so this was our compromise. The reception will be at the manor, and Yamino's been doing a great job seeing to the details for that part." She smiled fondly at Loki's youngest son. "The only thing we're having trouble with is the ritual itself. Both involve drinking a form of alcohol, but we don't know if we should do a fully _Shinto_ ritual or do a partial one with some Norse aspects."

"The offerings are made to the gods of the bride and groom's choice," said Daidouji thoughtfully. "So we can do a mix of offerings to your gods and Loki's . . . though I hesitate to ask who exactly they are." His eyes darted to the gods in the car.

Loki smiled weakly. "We'll give offerings to Frigg, as is customary. We won't involve anyone present, Daidouji, don't worry."

Daidouji noticeably relaxed at Loki's words and his smile returned. "So now that that's settled, I guess we should discuss the ritual itself, you know about the _sake_ , yes?"

"I vaguely remember it from Ayana's wedding," replied Loki before clapping a hand over his mouth.

"Well I'll explain it to you then," said Daidouji sternly. "A shot of _sake_ is poured into three cups of increasing sizes, and the bride and groom each take three sips from each cup. The smallest goes to the groom first then the bride, then the second will go to the bride then groom, and the last will go to the groom first then the bride like the first. Honestly this is the most important part of a _Shinto_ marriage ritual, even more important than the exchanging of rings at the end. In the eyes of our gods this signifies that a couple are officially married."

"Then we'll do it," said Loki as confidently as he could though he was slowly turning green. "Yamino, place an order for the best _sake_ you can find, as well as some honey mead for the reception. It wouldn't be a true Norse wedding without some traditional drinks."

Narugami nearly jumped up from his seat at the mention of mead. "Really, Loki?! Honest to the gods' mead! It's been so long since I've partaken in such brews."

Mayura giggled. "Narugami, you're sounding more Norse than Japanese."

"Wait until he has the mead," muttered Loki making Mayura laugh harder. "Is that all we needed to discuss with you, Daidouji?"

Daidouji nodded as he watched his daughter comfort Loki, thinking for a moment that they looked like he and Mayura's mother when they were first married. "Yes, for the most part, although if you've selected a best man and bridesmaid I would be more than happy to hear it."

Loki glanced over at Narugami. "What do you say, Thunder Boy? Want to be my best man?"

"It would be an honor, Loki," said Narugami sincerely as he rummaged through the picnic basket Yamino had put in the back for such a purpose.

"There's the best man done," said Loki as he put an arm over his eyes. "Mayura, pick whomever you want to be your bridesmaid, I don't even care if it's Thor."

"Well, he did look good in a kimono," teased Mayura and Narugami tried to open his mouth to protest but it was too full of cookies and tarts. "No, I think I'll pick Freya."

The goddess looked incredibly stunned to be selected. "Me? Are you sure, Mayura? I mean, not that I'm not flattered, but I didn't think we were that close."

"While that may be true, I think this would be an excellent start to being better friends," said Mayura cheerfully and Freya blushed. "Please say you'll do it, Freya."

All eyes were on the goddess who was still trying to come to terms with being asked in the first place. She thought about it for a moment then smiled. "Of course, Mayura, I'd be more than happy to be your bridesmaid."

Mayura's crimson eyes lit up instantly. "I'm so glad, thank you, Freya."

"Great, now I'm not going to talk for the rest of the trip," grumbled Loki and Mayura laughed as she wrapped her arms around him then pressed a light kiss to his forehead. The god of mischief found the comfort from his fiancée to be working for him just enough to make the rest of the drive tolerable.

* * *

They finally arrived at the address Koutaro had supplied Yamino with earlier, the weather far more pleasant and in season than it was back home, quickly lifting the spirits of the melancholy gods. The house was at least two and a half stories tall, with windows on almost every side and from what Koutaro said it had six bedrooms plus a loft and games at the very top. He also emphasized the luxury of the gourmet kitchen, open floor plan, and expensive furniture though everyone seemed more interested in the fact the house was right on the beach.

Urd, Skuld, Koutaro, Narugami and Heimdall immediately ran for the beach that was just steps away from the back door, each stripping down to the bathing suits they were wearing beneath their clothes. The older gods laughed at the younger ones' enthusiasm. Freya announced that she was going to change then go tanning for a while before lunch while Frey hopped on Gullinbursti and said something about deep sea diving for treasure. Yamino, Spica, and Verdandi gathered up all of the luggage and headed right into the house with Fenrir and Ecchan following closely behind. Mayura and Daidouji stayed behind to assist Loki in exiting the limousine, which was much easier said than done since the god was very unsteady on his feet. Somehow they managed to get him inside the house and onto the nearest sofa.

"I'm going to head outside and see what the kids are up to," said Daidouji as he applied sunscreen to his face and exposed forearms. "Come and get me when lunch is ready."

"Okay, bye Daddy!" called Mayura as he walked out the sliding glass door, then she turned her attention back to Loki. "How're you feeling?"

Loki sighed as he moved just a little bit closer to her. "Better now that I'm not in that wretched vehicle, I know they're necessary but I simply can't stand being in one."

Mayura giggled as she dabbed the remaining sweat from his brow. "Loki, you have an aversion to anything having to do with technology, I mean you can't even use a computer!"

"Which is why I have you and Yamino," replied Loki as he raised his hand to cup her cheek. "Though I didn't find this drive as terrible as it could have been thanks to you."

She leaned into his touch, her hands holding onto his forearm. "I'm just glad you're feeling better, I don't like seeing you so sick, I feel really helpless when you get like that."

Loki smiled, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone. "Then I guess it's fortunate that gods so rarely get sick."

"It is indeed," said Mayura quietly, she saw the look in Loki's eyes and felt her heart quicken though she knew the same look of love and desire was mirrored in her own eyes. She leaned forward as Loki leaned up, they were so close she could feel Loki's breath on her lips.

"Master Loki!" called Yamino from the kitchen, interrupting their kiss. "Are you feeling better? Perhaps you'd care for some of the crackers I had imported from London?"

Loki tried not to groan as his lips were just a moment away from Mayura's. "Sure, Yamino, thank you." He sighed heavily, still refusing to move from his current position. "I promise, we'll find some time for ourselves, because if this is any indication as to how this vacation's going to go I might go mad."

Mayura chuckled warmly before kissing him quickly. "I guess that will have to do until we can get a few moments to ourselves. I'm going outside with the others, shout if you need anything."

"I will," said Loki as he laid back down on the sofa. Mayura stood up and walked towards the backdoor, Loki craned his neck to get a look at her walk away, smiling mischievously when he saw the mint green bikini bottom hidden by her yellow summer dress. When she was gone he assumed a more comfortable position and closed his eyes, the carsickness having tired him out and he fell asleep to the sounds of the others laughing.

* * *

"Earthquake!" someone shouted and Loki jumped awake, momentarily dazed before remembering where he was and what he was doing. The sound of shouting from outside motivated him to run as fast as he could to see what was going on, though when he got up he hit the ground, looking around he saw the whole house was shaking. Earthquakes were not uncommon where they lived but they had checked this morning what the possibilities for one happening in the next few weeks were and they were very low.

' _Something's very wrong,'_ thought Loki as he started to crawl towards the backdoor, listening for any indication as to what it might be. He began to notice that the vibrations would be strong for a moment then fade then be strong again, a very unusual pattern for an earthquake but not for something like footsteps. "Oh shit," muttered Loki and he jumped to his feet despite the shaking and managed to get the door open, rushing outside to see the others on the ground trying to get back to the house.

"Loki!" called Mayura when she saw him and he stumbled over to her position. "Loki, we need to get someplace safe!"

"I agree," said Loki as he looked around the area, scanning for any sign of what he feared was coming. "Mayura, I don't think this is an earthquake."

Mayura looked up at him skeptically, she had lived through enough earthquakes to know what this was. "What do you mean?"

"I think it's something far worse," replied Loki darkly and suddenly the shaking stopped just as quickly as it had begun, the stillness and calm very unnerving as the fallen gods and humans stood up, looking around for any signs of major damage. They were just about to head inside when a deafening roar shattered the calm, and Loki's worst fears were confirmed. Looking towards the sound of the roar Loki's blood ran ice cold, standing far above the tree-covered hills was a giant. Its blue skin undeniable in the bright sun, horns as thick as the oldest tree trunks and wider than a building, its gnarled teeth sticking out of its twisted mouth as it let out another earsplitting roar.

"Mayura, get in the house," said Loki, his eyes flashing red as he put himself between her and the giant.

"But—" started Mayura but Loki interrupted her.

"Mayura, right now I'm the only one who can stop this thing," said Loki his eyes still focused on the giant, whom was thankfully standing still. "You and your father need to get inside and find someplace safe to hide until this is over, do you understand?"

The last thing Mayura wanted to do was leave Loki and the others to fight this monster but she was not given much of a choice when her father ran up and grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the house.

"Come on, Mayura," said Daidouji as he pulled Mayura. "Let Loki and the others take care of this. Koutaro! Get inside before you get yourself killed."

The young heir looked torn between going with Mayura and her father and staying with Urd, his gaze shifting between the two.

Urd pulled him into a passionate kiss, smiling at him when they parted. "I'll see you when this is over, now go."

Koutaro nodded weakly and ran off to where Mayura and Daidouji were standing, then the three of them ran inside, making sure to close the door behind them. Fenrir, Yamino, and Spica came running out just moments later, worried looks on their faces as they turned to see the giant about to bear down on them.

Loki breathed a small sigh of relief, at least he could focus on the giant without having to worry about Mayura getting hurt in the fight. Without wasting another second he summoned Laevateinn, when it was in his hands he instantly changed his more casual clothes in favor of his usual red suit, his godly clothes. Looking around he saw the others doing the same, each of them brandishing their weapons as they prepared for battle. Heimdall was on Gullinbursti with his hawk on his shoulder, Narugami was beside him with Mjolnir crackling with lightning in his hands, Frey was standing on his floating battleship Skidbladnir which was hovering above the water. Freya and the Norns had their hands lit up with their magic, beside him Yamino and Fenrir were morphing into their original forms, those of the snake Jormungand and the mighty wolf. The giant roared at the sight of the two great beasts and that was the signal for the battle to commence.

"Frey, use Skidbladnir to distract the giant!" called Loki as he summoned a circle of white light around his feet, making him hover in the air. "Heimdall, use Gullinbursti to get as close as you can to its neckband, see if you can get it off of him! Norns, Freya, back up Jormungand and Fenrir. Spica, guard the girls!" After he gave them their orders he flew straight for the giant, blasting it with magic from his staff as he tried to get around its massive body to the back of its neck. Giants' skin could regenerate injured areas so the only way to kill a giant was to strike it at the only weak point it possessed, a small spot on the back of its neck at the top of the spine; the neckband he had instructed Heimdall to dispose of protected the spot from enemy fire. Loki knew of the spot as he had fought many giants while ruling over Utgard so long ago.

The giant roared as blasts from Frey, Loki, and the goddesses assaulted him at once, swinging its mighty axe at the magic as it came up to strike. The magical axe deflected most of the magic, rebounding it at the people on the ground whom had fired it, causing them to scatter on the beach as their magic tore up the sandy terrain. A few wayward blasts hit the house, causing the humans inside to retreat from the kitchen for better cover upstairs. Fenrir growled audibly before running at the giant, his mouth opened as he launched at the giant's axe hand only to be knocked down into the face of a hill.

"Fenrir!" hissed Jormungand. The great snake launched himself at the giant's left, his teeth digging into the leather-like skin, he held on despite the giant shaking his leg repeatedly but he lost his focus for a moment when he saw his father flying closer and that was when he was kicked off of the giant. Jormungand landed in the ocean several hundred feet away.

Loki grit his teeth as he flew closer and closer to the giant, swiping his staff horizontally in front of him to send a more powerful attack at the beast, only to be nearly knocked from the air with the axe he neglected to keep an eye on. Beneath him he saw Heimdall trying to get close to the buckle of the neckband but was struggling to get past the swinging axe, the breeze caused by its movements blowing him constantly off course. The giant needed to be distracted, if only for a few seconds, so both Heimdall and Loki could get closer to their targets.

* * *

Mayura watched from the plate glass door of one of the bedrooms, cringing when she saw Loki almost be thrown to the ground, she felt so cowardly just staying on the sidelines without helping somehow. She knew if she got up close she would likely be killed instantly by the giant, so that was out but if she could attack from afar like some of the others . . .

"That's it!" she cried and she ran from the room, a list in her mind of what she needed to get in order for her plan to work. Koutaro and Daidouji merely shrugged to each other moments before she came back in the room with bungee cords, a bucket, a drill, rubber tubing, and a few other assorted items.

"Mayura, where on earth did you get all of this?" asked Koutaro when he saw the items she put on the floor.

"One of the suitcases downstairs," replied Mayura as she started feeding the bungee cords through the rubber tubing. "Yamino really came prepared for anything."

"What do you plan on doing, Mayura?" asked Daidouji curiously.

"I'm going to make a slingshot," said Mayura as she tested the strength and stretchiness of the one piece of tubing and cord. "And fasten it to the balcony so we can shoot stuff at the giant. Now don't argue and help me! Loki and the others are counting on us."

Neither Koutaro nor Daidouji had the heart to argue with her when she seemed so determined to help her fiancé and their friends, so without another word they assisted Mayura in building her slingshot. They brought it outside and saw that there were loops in place already for hooking up a hammock so they used them for the slingshot, all amazed that they were able to assemble it as quickly and efficiently as they did. When it was finally hooked up, Mayura left the room and returned moments later with a bag full of ammunition: canned foods.

"Come on, we have to do something," she said in response to their questioning looks. She put one of the cans in the bucket that served as the center of the slingshot, she tried to pull it back but she was not quite strong enough, so Koutaro grabbed on and together they pulled it back all the way past the open plate glass French door then let go. The can went sailing in the direction they wanted but it did not have enough energy to complete the journey, that was until a shot of lightning hit it and sent it flying into the giant's finger.

Koutaro and Mayura looked down to see Narugami on his feet, his trusted companion Mjolnir extended, which indicated to them he had been the one to power the projectile for them.

"Do another!" he shouted up to them and they grinned at each other before reloading the slingshot with a slightly heavier can. They pulled back as far as they could and released it, watching it fly across the beach before Narugami hit it with a blast of lightning that sent it right into the giant's axe hand. The mighty creature roared at the pain, lifting his hand to show a hole through the center of his palm, it was small but definitely there and enough to distract the beast.

Heimdall took advantage of the giant's preoccupation with his injured hand to get closer to the neckband, maneuvering Gullinbursti so they were on a direct course with the silver buckle. He had his hawk fly there first and start pulling on the leather ties that held the key to the lock; the neckband had been designed by some spiteful dwarf whom had made a deal with the giants long ago to help them protect their weak spot from the gods. The lock on the buckle was not holding the neckband on, it was actually the source of the spell repelling attacks directly to the piece of armor, with it removed, the band could be destroyed and the weak point exposed. He was almost there when the giant's hand came into view, quickly he veered Gullinbursti away from it mere seconds before it collided with him.

"Heimdall!" he heard someone shout before a barrage of magical projectiles rained down on the giant, giving Heimdall the opportunity to return to his task. Somehow he managed to slip under the giant's radar without further incident and was relieved to see his hawk waiting with the tiny silver key in its claws, he took it from him and quickly unlocked the small lock then pulled back.

"Loki! It's your show now!" called Heimdall as he retreated to Frey's ship and Loki surged forward, dodging the attacks from the giant effortlessly.

In his mind's eye he was back in Utgard, fighting just another challenger for his throne and his muscles reacted as if that were the circumstance, gliding his body up to the spot he knew was his for the taking. With a wave of Laevateinn he sliced the band and if fell away from the giant's neck, the gods below cheered as it tumbled down, the giant only now realizing what was going on. It reached to try and put it back on but by then it was far too late, Loki had reached the top of its spine and fired a powerful blast as the old Norse words flew from lips to give it power. The blast hit its target and the giant stopped moving, slowly its arms fell to its side as the rest of its body crumbled beneath it before landing in a massive heap below Loki before exploding in a bright blue light.

The god looked down at where the creature had been and almost felt pity for it, almost. Then he heard the cheering of his friends and he grinned, knowing they had just rid the human world of one of the most dangerous creatures known to man or god. Slowly he descended as the others swarmed to greet him.

"Well done, Loki!" said Frey, clapping him on the back.

"That was awesome!" cried Narugami as he raised Mjolnir in victory, a happy sort of crackling coming from the kendo sword.

Freya was almost in tears she was so happy. "Impressive work, Loki, I'm so glad you're alive."

He smiled at them all and was incredibly relieved to see Yamino walking up to him with Fenrir in his arms. Quickly he pushed past everyone in his way to embrace his sons, having thought for one horrible moment that he had lost them to the giant.

"My sons," he said warmly, holding them close.

"Father, we're fine," said Yamino kindly as he returned his father's embrace.

Fenrir managed to move in between them so he could lick his father's face. "Daddy! You were amazing! That giant didn't stand a chance against you."

Loki grinned broadly and he released them, then looked around for Mayura. "Where's Mayura?" The gods and goddesses looked around themselves, not having seen her since the end of the battle.

Just then Koutaro and Daidouji came running out of the beach house looking frightened and worried, this did not sit well with Loki at all, especially since now was a time to celebrate.

"Loki," said Koutaro breathlessly, it took him a moment to recover enough breath to speak. "Loki, Mayura's gone!"


	9. Two Mischievous Gods are Worse Than One

"She's gone?!" exclaimed Loki, Koutaro's words having finally sunken in. "What do you mean she's gone?!"

Daidouji put himself between Koutaro and Loki, noticing the crazed look in the god's eyes at the mention of Mayura being gone. "He means she's been kidnapped, Loki. We're not sure exactly how but we were standing out on the balcony watching you kill that giant when a really cold wind blew across us. It was so cold and so strong we had to close our eyes, when it ended we looked around but Mayura wasn't with us. We thought she might have gone inside to escape the wind but we didn't find her anywhere in the house." He then reached into the breast pocket of his shirt, pulling out a piece of paper. "Although we did find this, but we couldn't figure it out, I think it's written in ancient Norse."

Loki took the note from Daidouji's hand, finding that the letters were indeed those of ancient Norse, though that did not reassure him. He knew that some god was involved in this, one that knew about Mayura and what she meant to him, but then again if what Ratatoskr had said before was true then every god in Asgard knew about her. He read the note carefully, wondering what this mysterious assailant could possibly want with Mayura:

 _One for the other,_

 _To the man who loves her._

 _The human for the giantess_

 _Or else._

The poem was obviously outlining the terms of a trade, one Loki was less than pleased to enact but he knew if he did not Mayura might be harmed and that he especially could not allow. He would have to give Spica over to this mystery man in order to have Mayura returned to him, yet he was unsure of whom he would be dealing with in this matter, as far as he knew he was the only one who had ever loved Spice. He looked over at the giantess in disguise, she was holding their eldest son with their youngest hovering beside her and he felt a sharp pain stab through his heart. While he did not love her romantically any longer, he still cared for her deeply as a friend and member of his family, after all she was the mother of his three children and had known him for centuries. Trading her for Mayura almost felt like a betrayal . . . to both women.

"I suggest heading back inside," announced Yamino when he saw the gods' somber looks. "We're all upset and tired, so how about everyone head to the loft while Mother and I make some snacks for everyone? We can discuss Mayura then."

Reluctantly Loki had to agree, until they knew who had Mayura they did not have a lead to follow, so he followed the others back into the house though he made sure to stay at the back of the group; he did not want anyone else to know what the letter said until he was ready to tell them and that would mean speaking to Spica first. Then again he was not sure he wanted to know if she had had another lover, it would bring up a lot of unwanted possibilities.

"Spica," he said in a whisper as he passed her. "Meet me down here in three minutes."

The giantess nodded then closed the door behind her, wondering what Loki could possibly want to discuss with her.

When the three minutes passed, Loki excused himself from the loft and headed downstairs, hoping no one would see him as he met with Spica. To his great relief no one but her was in the living room, Yamino and Verdandi having made themselves at home in the kitchen that was blessedly a decent distance away. His former wife seemed calm however he could see in the worry in her eyes, she likely had a feeling that Mayura's disappearance had something to do with her.

' _Loki, you wanted to see me?'_ she asked, her sweet voice filling his head.

' _I did,'_ he replied as he sat down on the couch, motioning for her to join him, when she did he continued with his train of thought. _'Angrboda, I need you to be honest with me when I ask you something.'_

' _Absolutely,'_ she said without hesitation so he figured she probably did not know what he was going to ask her about.

' _Have you had another lover besides me?'_ he asked, disgusted with himself for asking although he knew it had to be done.

Spica shook her head firmly. _'No, absolutely not. You were and still have been the only person I have shared a bed with, and the same was true for you until you met Mayura. Why are you asking me such a question?'_

Loki looked around before pulling the note out of his pocket. _'I haven't told anyone yet, but this is a ransom note for Mayura. The person who wrote it is asking for me to trade you for Mayura. The part that troubles me is the second line.'_ He handed the note to her to read.

Spica's eyes immediately went to the second line and she could understand her former husband's confusion, it clearly indicated that someone was deeply in love with her, though she did not know who. _'I see, well this is troubling, since I can't think of anyone else who could be in love with me. I know you were at one time, when you still ruled Utgard, but I'm not sure about after you left and created the Void. I think that was when you stopped loving me.'_

Loki set his jaw in irritation, this was getting him nowhere, though he found it strange how everything happening lately was coming back to Utgard. He thought carefully about these past events, starting with Hild and her message: _Someone from your past has wandered back into your present, with the intention of taking what once was his again_. Chancing a glance at Spica he tried not to cringe at the thought of someone coming after her, after all she had been his once.

' _Wait a minute,'_ he thought to himself, taking the note from Spica's hands, rereading it. _'Whomever wrote this has to be the person Hild mentioned! This is too much of a coincidence not to be the same person.'_ He then played over the last few days. _'A blizzard in June, the giant escaping through the Void, Mayura going missing after a sudden cold wind, her ransom being a powerful giantess. All signs point back to Utgard, but how is that possible? I haven't been there in centuries.'_

Loki thought about the last time he had been in Utgard, after he had struck a deal with Odin to seal off the World of the Giants from the other Worlds in exchange for a place with the Aesir. He had used half of his magic to create the Void, sealing it with his blood so only he could reopen it should the time come, and Odin had replenished his sacrifice with some of his blood which made him half-Aesir and half-giant. Now the Void had indeed been opened, which meant someone of his blood, his giant's blood had somehow figured out that secret. But that was impossible, since his children never knew about that little trick, he had made sure they could not ever be used in that way.

Then again, how he created the Void was unclear in itself, he knew it required a sacrifice of blood and powerful magic but what happened when those two mixed together like that? No one since had used magic like that, so there was nothing he could compare it to, if anything it was all theory. He had always thought as long as he stayed alive so would the Void, and if he were killed it would reopen and the giants would escape, that was how he assumed the blood magic worked at least. Was it possible that the magic and blood combined in a different way beyond the Void?

"Verdandi," called Loki as he stood up and went into the kitchen, Spica following closely behind him. "Verdandi, I have an academic question."

Verdandi looked up from the garlic bread she was making and turned to face him, a curious look on her face. "Alright, what is it?"

"What happens when blood and magic are combined?" he asked, knowing this was going to open a floodgate of questions.

"Well," she said as she thought about the question. "It would depend on who did it; humans of old have been known to use blood as a catalyst for magic with some mixed results. But I can tell that's not what you're asking, Lord Loki. You're wondering about what happens when a god combines magic with blood."

Loki cursed the fact she was the Seer of the Present, but that was beside the point. "Yes, fine, do you know?"

Verdandi thought about the few times she had ever come across a god combining his blood and magic. "In theory, when a god gives blood to magic, he gives also a part of himself as well such as aspects of personality and knowledge. Our blood is different in the way it contains our very essence, changing with us as we change, so it is never quite the same as before; so it's entirely possible that the blood used in combination with the magic could create another god. The god one used to be based on what is contained in the blood at the time. Of course, this is just a theory."

Loki's heart sank to the floor, he had a feeling she was right and that that was what had happened in this situation. "Unfortunately Verdandi, I believe your theory is correct. I think when I closed off Utgard from the other worlds, I inadvertently created another me, one that would be just like how I was when I was the ruler of the giants. That's the only way any of this makes any sense."

"Master Loki, are you certain?" asked Yamino, his wavering voice betraying his nervousness. "This could just be Odin."

"No, I can be sure of that," said Loki with a mirthless smile as he showed them the ransom. "Whomever this is, he's asking for Spica in exchange for Mayura and claims to be in love with her. Spica confirmed to me that I'm the only person she can think of as being in love with her, and I was at the time I created the Void. If what Verdandi said is true, then this double of me is exactly how I was before and that includes being in love with Angrboda. This version of me is trying to get her back, as he thinks she was his before."

Verdandi gasped. "Mother's warning to you . . . about someone from your past wanting to take something that was his . . . she knew the whole time!"

A dark looked crossed Loki's face. "Yes, she most certainly did. She probably knew his intentions towards Mayura as well, which is why she wanted to meet her, to see if I actually did love her or if it was just a rumor. We walked right into a trap and didn't even know it."

Yamino frowned. "But what about the giant? It certainly seemed like it was trying to kill us, maybe it's unrelated."

"I don't think so," said Loki sternly. "Thinking about it now, I was stupid to separate myself from Mayura, that was exactly what this other me was counting on. He sent the giant after us deliberately in the hopes of me sending Mayura away in order to fight without worrying and he seized the opportunity to take her away. The giant was just a diversion to keep us from detecting his presence."

"Come to think of it, I couldn't even sense another presence," said Yamino as he thought about the battle. "The giant seemed to be clouding everyone's auras because I could barely tell who was who once it showed up. That could have been used to your other version's advantage to capture Miss Mayura."

"But why take Mayura?" asked Koutaro as he came down the stairs, the others following him. "If this double of yours really wanted Spica, he could have just taken her when he had the chance and been done with all of this."

"How much have you all heard?" asked Loki as the others settled themselves in the kitchen.

"Enough to know what we're dealing with," replied Daidouji crossly. "Now why did this second you take Mayura? Koutaro's right, he should have just taken Spica and not involved Mayura at all."

"Because he needs me to open the Void," growled Loki, his temper flaring as he realized his double's plans. "Before I created the Void, I sent Angrboda away to a different world so she wouldn't be trapped there and could see our children. In order for Angrboda to return to Utgard and for me to get Mayura back, he needs the Void opened completely."

"But why?" asked Frey as he took a bite from a cookie. "He already opened it enough for a giant to get through, couldn't he just get out himself?"

Loki rubbed his eyes in frustration, this double really was as devious as he was. "It's a one way gate right now, he can open it and send something through it but he can't get them back in to Utgard. I'm the other half of the key, the one that will make it possible for things to get back in, and he's holding Mayura so I'll have an excuse to go in and he wants me to bring Angrboda so she'll be able to get home as well."

The giantess nodded sadly, she did not like being used this way but she had no choice in the matter now. _'And he was able to get Mayura in because she isn't a giant, so the Void doesn't work against her.'_

"Is Mayura safe with this version of you?" asked Daidouji, his arms crossed against his chest. "I mean, he is you so she must be, there's no need to rush and destroy something that probably needs to be there."

"Well, actually, she might not be," said Loki quietly and Daidouji nearly fell over. "You see, she's with the me I used to be and that person was . . . less than friendly towards humans. He won't hurt her, not unless we back out on the trade, but he won't be kind to her at all."

Daidouji felt a vein pop in his head he was so angry. "Then we should get her back this instant! I don't care if we have to tear the galaxy in two, I want Mayura here, not in some other realm with someone who might kill her!"

Loki wanted that too, gods did he ever want Mayura back, but he had to think about this a little bit more; after all opening the Void might cause Odin to attack him on the grounds of betraying them to the enemy. Then there was Spica to consider, she probably did not want to leave, after all her family was here on Midgard not in Utgard. They could try some form of deceit to get Mayura back and still keep Spica here, but then again his double had probably thought about that and was prepared.

"How much time do we have?" asked Freya, wringing her hands with worry. "Did he give us a time limit?"

"His note didn't say," said Loki, looking back at the piece of parchment, only to see that part of the first line had vanished. "Actually, never mind what I said, he did give us a time limit; we have until the note disappears."

' _That isn't long then,'_ said Spica, looking at him with worry in her brown eyes. _'Loki, you need to bring Mayura home, damn the consequences. I remember what you were like then, and saying you were less than friendly towards humans is an understatement, Mayura is in serious danger with this other you. Please, let me go in trade, I know what she means to you and the others.'_

' _But Angrboda,'_ said Loki a sad look in his eyes. _'This isn't fair, especially to you.'_

' _And it's fair to Mayura to yet again be used as a pawn?'_ snapped Spica, her giant nature showing through. _'You don't have a choice, Loki! You either get her back alive and well or dead, those are your only options.'_

' _But the same could be said for you!'_ barked Loki. _'He might want you just to kill you or something, I can't put you in that kind of danger.'_

Spica pressed her lips into a fine line. _'No, you're being selfish, that's what this is. You want both me and Mayura, you can't settle on having one when you've had both for so long. It seems you haven't changed that much since your days in Utgard, which is a shame really, I thought your time as a child might have allowed you to grow up a little.'_

Loki bit back a scathing remark, now was not the time to argue whether he was selfish or not, that could come later when tensions were less. "Spica says she'll do it, she'll be traded for Mayura," he announced and the giantess nodded solemnly. "Norns, is there a way we can get to Utgard from here?"

The Norn sisters looked at each and nodded in unison, they had a way.

"Koutaro, is there a full-length mirror someplace?" asked Urd, looking at her boyfriend.

He nodded. "Yes, in the master bedroom. Why?"

"There's a spell we can use to temporarily transform a mirror into a gateway to another realm," replied Skuld. "It's not permanent or anything but it should suffice for a quick visit someplace."

"That's all we need," said Loki sharply. "Let's go, we don't have much time left."

* * *

The group of humans and gods watched as the Norn sisters gathered around the mirror, their hands touching the glass as the recited a spell Loki recognized, he had heard them do this before but he could not place why. That did not matter anymore, it was probably just as long ago as his living in Utgard, no need to dwell on the past any longer. When they finished speaking the mirror's surface shimmered and warped before the night sky appeared in the surface, though Loki knew better, the portal had opened up at the Void though some distance away from where it started.

"Who's going with me and Spica?" he asked the room as they walked towards the portal.

"I am," said Fenrir, running forward to sit at Loki's feet.

Yamino stepped forward. "I would like to go as well, if that's alright."

Loki nodded at both of his sons, suspecting that they wanted to say goodbye to their mother before she left them for good. "That's fine," he replied and then looked at the Norns. "Keep the portal opened only as long as you have to, if it looks like we aren't going to make it back, close it. I don't want to be the reason any more giants escape into Midgard."

The Norns nodded their understanding, then Loki took a deep breath before stepping through the portal, his feet were on something that felt solid but when he looked down all he saw were stars. Being a god had a few benefits apparently, like walking on air.

Spica and Yamino followed him quickly, Fenrir in the giantess's arms and they too were able to stand in the emptiness as if there were a floor beneath their feet. When Loki began walking towards the Void, they followed him quietly, all knowing this would be the last time they would be able to be together for a very long time.

Fenrir could not handle the prospect of his family being separated again, he had enjoyed having everyone together again too much. "Daddy, are you really going to trade Mom for the Mystery Girl?" he asked, his false sweet voice in place.

Loki nodded curtly. "I am, Fenrir."

"But why?" asked Fenrir desperately. "Mom hasn't done anything to deserve this!"

"And Mayura has?!" demanded Loki, glaring at his eldest. "I know you aren't happy about me marrying her, Fenrir, I heard you tell Thunder Boy as much. But your mother's consented to this trade and I can't let Mayura get hurt, that's why we're doing this."

"This isn't fair," whined Fenrir as he nestled further in his mother's arms. "I don't want Mom to leave, we've been so happy since she came. Please, can't we find another way?"

"There isn't one, Fenrir," said Yamino sadly, sensing his father's anger. "Father and Mother are doing what they think is best, so we shouldn't question their decision. Instead we should enjoy these last moments."

Loki gave a small smile to his youngest son. "I knew you were my favorite for a reason."

Fenrir balked as Yamino blushed, though Loki only laughed so neither son could tell if their father was being serious or not. Spica was smiling through her tears, she was going to miss this, miss her sons and her best friend but she knew it was time for her to move on. Loki had a new life now and while she wanted to be a part of it she knew it was time to let go, he had someone wonderful who made him happier than she had ever seen him.

They arrived at the Void and Loki summoned his staff, indicating to the others to stand back while he broke it open. The spell came easily to him, the memory clear in his mind as he recited words he never thought he would again, the magic building in his staff before he raised it and slammed it against the empty space. Suddenly there was a cracking sound and a white line appeared where Loki's staff had struck, it slowly spread across the space in front of him and the cracks grew bigger and moved faster. When they reached what appeared to be the top, the Void shattered completely, revealing a snow covered world Loki was intimately familiar with and as he examined the vast world in front of him, his eyes landed on some moving shapes. He had a feeling that was his double coming with Mayura.

"Come on," he said dully. He started walking towards the moving shapes, his family behind him as they approached the shapes, worried looks on their faces.

When they reached a clearing in the middle of their path, both parties stopped and then two members from the other party continued the journey before stopping halfway between them. Even from his position Loki could make out Mayura and his heart pounded in his chest, she appeared to be unharmed but looked very scared, though she seemed a little dazed. Silently he indicated to Spica to walk with him, and she nodded but did not leave right away, instead she said goodbye to her sons. She scratched Fenrir behind the ears and kissed his head, then set him down in the snow before embracing Yamino as tightly as she could then kissed his cheek. When she was done she walked up to Loki, nodding again to indicated she was ready to go, and he gave a gruff noise as a response.

Together they walked the rest of the way to Mayura and her captor, Loki feeling as if he were walking through quicksand instead of snow, but they finally reached their target. Loki was taken aback at the appearance of his double, they were almost identical except his double had silver hair and red eyes, what surprised him the most was he was wearing the black and silver clothes he used to wear when he lived in Utgard.

' _I guess Verdandi was right,'_ thought Loki as he stared calmly at his double.

"I see you figured out my messages," said his double, grinning devilishly. "It would seem you aren't as stupid as I thought, being a god hasn't softened you too much."

Loki took a deep breath. "Is Mayura unharmed?"

His double rolled his eyes. "But soft enough to care about a human." He then forced Mayura to look at Loki. "Does it looked harmed to you, brother? I tried to take care of your pet as best I could."

"Mayura's not my pet, she's my wife," snapped Loki, his eyes flashing red. "Now please, give her back to me."

"Not until I have Angrboda," said his double, and his harsh glare softened at the sight of the purple-haired giantess in disguise. "My beautiful Angrboda, how I've missed you."

Spica looked up at him and smiled sweetly. "What am I to call you?" she asked, her voice having returned.

"You may call me Utgard Loki," replied Utgard Loki, smirking at Loki. "Now please, return to my side, my love and let us be done with this pest and her so called husband."

"Of course," said Spica pleasantly as she moved from Loki's side to Utgard Loki's, looking surprisingly relaxed. "Now give the human back to him."

Utgard Loki smiled wickedly as he threw Mayura into the snow, causing the young woman to cry out as she collided with the cold substance. Loki immediately went down to his knees and pulled Mayura against him, he noticed her shivering violently and he wondered if she had been kept outside all this time. Without a second thought he pulled back and took his jacket off then wrapped it snuggly around Mayura before situating her in his arms bridal style and then standing up.

"I don't want to see you or any giants again," said Loki harshly.

Utgard Loki chuckled. "Don't worry, I have no interest in war against Asgard or attacking Midgard, I have what I want and intend to keep it that way. Now go and take your human with you, and don't think to come back here or I won't be so nice."

Loki turned around the moment Utgard Loki did and he walked over to where Fenrir and Yamino were waiting for him, Mayura still shivering in his arms. He had a feeling she was sick from her exposure in ill-suited clothing and he felt incredibly guilty about that.

"Let's go, you two," he said as he passed them and his sons fell in line beside him as he walked back towards the portal, wondering if Utgard Loki would really keep his promise.


	10. Words are More Painful Than a Sword

Mayura sneezed harshly then blew her nose into her handkerchief, hoping that would relieve her aching head even if just for a little while. When she was done she collapsed against her pillows, the world spinning around her as she cursed her weak human body for getting such a severe flu. Coughing she reached for the soup Yamino had made her for lunch, she looked at it and could not find the appetite to eat a single spoonful, she just felt too miserable. She put the soup back on her bedside table as she fought against another coughing fit, finally it settled down and she was able to breathe without worry. Pulling the covers up higher she shivered violently, her fever spiking again, the shaking causing the soreness in her body to flare up as well. Needless to say she was utterly miserable.

"Mayura, are you awake?" asked Loki through the door as he knocked.

"Barely," she replied, her voice scratchy. She watched as the door opened to reveal a very worried looking Loki, when he saw her he rushed over to her side, putting a hand to her forehead and cheeks.

"Looks like your fever's back," he sighed as he pulled his hand away then went searching for the aspirin Yamino had brought up days ago. Mayura had been sick for a little over a week and was not showing some signs of improvement, though they had hoped when her fever broke the worst had passed. "Have you eaten anything?"

Mayura shook her head, though she regretted the action seconds later when the room began spinning again. "I'm not really hungry."

Loki smiled gently as he took the bowl of soup in his hands, getting a spoonful. "Come on, eat a few bites and I promise I'll leave you alone."

"If I eat, can we talk about your twin?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"Yes, but only if you promise to eat half of the bowl," said Loki reluctantly. Since they arrived back from Utgard, Mayura had been trying to ask questions about Utgard Loki but he had been deflecting them, saying they could talk about it when she was well. She seemed to be better than she was when they brought her home, but that did not necessarily mean he wanted to answer any questions about Utgard Loki.

"I guess I can try," said Mayura as she took the bowl from him and ate a bite, the warm liquid warming her throat. She instantly loved the mushroom soup and took another bite, wondering why she had resisted eating it initially. "So, who exactly is he? Is he your twin brother or not?"

Loki shrugged as he watched her eat. "That's the best way to define him, I suppose. He's the result of the combining of my magic and blood when I created the Void, though I'm still not sure how or when he manifested."

Mayura nodded thoughtfully as she took another large bite of soup. "Why does he look like you? You know, aside from the hair and eyes."

"I actually used to look like that," admitted Loki and he looked to see her staring at him wide eyed. "When I was still fully giant, I had silver hair and completely red eyes, when Odin made me part Aesir I gained darker hair and green eyes though the red still comes out whenever I'm incredibly angry. Which I'm sure you've noticed."

"Yes," conceded Mayura, putting the spoon back in the now empty bowl. "Were you . . . are you . . . did you really hate humans?"

Loki bristled, not at the question but at the fear in her eyes, like she had been told some horrific secret and forbidden to talk about it. "What did he say to you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at the thought of his twin verbally harassing his intended.

Mayura looked at the bowl in her lap, reluctant to tell him what his double had told her. "He said . . . that he hated humans, called me your pet and said I wasn't worth more than the dirt under his feet," she said quietly but he heard every word. "He slapped me a few times when I tried to defend humans, telling me I needed to keep my mouth shut unless otherwise told. For a while he ranted about how stupid and worthless I was because I was human, that I shouldn't even be allowed to know of the gods much less marry one. He really didn't like the fact I was going to be your wife, I think. When he saw my engagement ring he said it was a pretty bobble for a human whore, I think he was implying that you gave it to me as payment."

When she was finished speaking she looked up and saw Loki sitting stock still, his breathing audible and heavy as he dug his fingers into his knees. Instantly she reached out to comfort him but he recoiled from her touch, nearly jumping to the other end of the bed in his attempt to get away from her.

"Loki, what's wrong?" she asked hesitantly, thinking for a moment that she had upset him.

"How can you still love me?" he asked, his voice tight. "Now that you know of the brute I used to be, how I used to view your kind before I changed."

Mayura smiled sadly as she took the bowl off her lap and crawled across the bed to where he was sitting, gently putting her arms around his shoulders and holding him as tightly as her ailing body could. "I love you because you're you," replied Mayura, kissing his head. "While I'm not thrilled to know you hated humans, I can't exactly change that now can I? And I don't want to because I love who you are entirely, Loki, not just one part of you."

Loki relaxed in her arms, leaning his head back against her shoulder. "I don't know what I did that was good enough to deserve the love of a woman like you."

"I don't know, but maybe you should do it again," laughed Mayura before kissing his cheek. "Did you ever see yourself getting married again after Angrboda?"

"Possibly, but not for love," he said sincerely. "I thought about it when I was in Asgard, there were several goddesses more than willing to share my marriage bed but I could never bring myself to marry any of them. Gods, I couldn't even bring myself to welcome them into my bed for a night. I guess they weren't what I wanted."

Mayura raised an eyebrow. "And I am what you wanted? Even when you had beautiful goddesses throwing themselves at your feet?"

Loki chuckled as he reached around and pulled Mayura onto his lap, the warmth of her body concerning him a little but he held her regardless. "Mayura, no goddess is as beautiful as you; you possess a beautiful body, mind, soul, and heart. Someone like me couldn't even hope for two of those things in a woman, but I lucked out and found one with all four who loves me despite how terrible of a person I used to be."

"You learned," said Mayura, cupping his cheek, alarmed at the difference in temperature between his skin and hers. "And I never thought I would find someone like you, who could understand my interests and not be turned off by them."

"Well, I didn't exactly understand them," teased Loki, kissing her forehead. "More like tolerated them because I wanted you around. Although, now that I understand them a little bit more and why they mean so much to you I find them endearing, however I was a little concerned when you said you didn't believe in gods."

"Well I do now," she said with a smirk. "I kind of have to otherwise you might disappear again."

"I'm not going anywhere without you, Mayura," promised Loki solemnly, sealing his promise with a light kiss on her lips. "Now, do you have any more questions about my twin or has that satisfied your questionably insatiable curiosity?"

Mayura shook her head as she leaned against his shoulder. "No, I'm too tired to ask more questions right now. Will you stay with me?"

Loki nodded and smiled kindly as he laid her back down on the bed, then climbed in beside her, wrapping an arm snuggly around her waist so he could pull her back flush against his chest. Mayura placed a hand under her head and the other on his, interlacing their fingers before drifting off to sleep, glad to have Loki by her side.

* * *

Mayura woke up a couple of hours later drenched in sweat, it appeared that her fever had broken while she slept and would explain why Loki was now situated on the other side of the bed. She smiled as she sat up and stretched, her body aches a bit more manageable so she stood up, testing out her legs as she tried to walk to get her robe draped across a chair; her first few steps were wobbly but she managed to get to her robe without falling over once. Quietly she put on her robe and opened the door, checking over her shoulder to see if Loki had stirred and when she was satisfied he had not she left the room, closing the door as she did.

When she was out in the hall she breathed deeply, happy at the chance to be up and about instead of locked in her room for hours on end. With a smile she dashed as quickly as she could to the stairs, hoping Yamino and Fenrir were in the kitchen, she had so missed talking to them it was driving her crazy. She descended the stairs and went straight for the kitchen, planning on surprising them when she heard what sounded like angry voices, causing her to stop in path, though that did not stop her from pushing the door open a crack to hear better.

"I don't care what the old man says," grumbled Fenrir from the counter. "I still don't think he should have traded Mom for the Mystery Girl."

"Fenrir!" screeched Ecchan, his delicate tone chastising.

"Oh shut up, you over puffed cotton ball!" growled Fenrir. "I know you like her, but that still doesn't make this better. Mom shouldn't have been traded like some commodity in favor of Mayura."

"And you think it was right for Mayura to be used?" came Yamino's voice from beside the stove. "I think you're being very unfair to her, she didn't exactly ask to get kidnapped by Father's double."

"No, but there should have been a better way," sighed Fenrir glumly. "They could have dueled or the old man could have done a series of tests to try and win Mayura back instead of simply trading Mom away."

Yamino sighed audibly. "Fenrir, two trickster gods of equal power could hardly duel or be expected to perform tests fairly, it would simply end in a draw. Father did what he thought was best and Mother agreed with him."

"So you think it was right?" asked Fenrir.

"No, I didn't say that," replied Yamino. "I miss Mother too, things were much easier with her help around the house, but I've managed before and I will again."

Fenrir snorted. "Considering Mayura's Daddy's princess and doesn't have to lift a finger around here to help, all she does is sit in his office on his lap and drink tea. And now that she's sick we have to wait on her hand and fucking foot."

"Big Brother!" scolded Yamino. "You will watch the way you speak about Mayura, after all she is your friend and deserves respect. And taking care of friends when they're sick is what friends do. Father would be ashamed to hear you speak in such a manner."

"Whatever," mumbled Fenrir. "Hey Four Eyes, do you think the old man misses Mom?"

"Yes, I think he does," said Yamino sadly. "They were good friends and each other's first loves, so of course he would miss her after having to leave her so unceremoniously. He even alluded to it that first night after Mayura fell ill, he wished Mother was around to help, since things always seemed to go as planned when she was around."

"Considering Mayura's just a big ball of chaos, that's saying something," said Fenrir derisively. "Maybe when she dies, Daddy will find someone better."

Mayura clapped a hand over her mouth to keep a sob from escaping, though she only then became aware that tears were running down her cheeks. Unable to hear any more she ran from the kitchen and up to Loki's office, unsure of what to do now. She cried until her eyes were red and her throat hurt from choking down so many sobs, not wanting the rest of the household to know that she was so upset. She was not sure what she could do in this situation to make things right with Loki and his sons, it seemed like her very presence in the home was causing them all some kind of distress.

 _'If Spica were here, everything would be normal,'_ she thought and then her eyes went wide. _'That's it! I'll go back to Utgard and get Spica back! Then Loki, Fenrir, and Yamino will all be happy again. Now how do I get out of here without anyone hearing me?'_

Mayura looked around the room like it held the answers to her problems, her eyes finally falling on a red and black chest sitting on a back filing cabinet. Getting up she padded over quietly to the cabinet, all the while working up the nerve to open the chest, she knew it contained Freya's Brising necklace the source of her power to change shapes. She remembered asking Loki about it and what it did a few years ago.

* * *

 _'So Freya's like you? She can shape shift?' she asks her fingers gently gliding over the delicate amber beads and intricate gold detail._

 _Loki shakes his head, an amused smile on his lips. 'No, not quite. The necklace grants her the power to change shape, whereas I can change shape whenever I please.'_

 _'Is she limited by shape?' asks Mayura._

 _'Not that I know of,' replies Loki still smiling. 'As far as I know she can change into anything she wants, within reason of course, she can't become a piece of dust otherwise she won't change back. What's interesting about the necklace is it can make her invisible, something I can't do, but few gods can anyhow.'_

 _Mayura nods as she continues her inspection of the necklace. 'Does it . . . would she . . . do her clothes change with her?'_

 _At this Loki bursts out laughing, when he calms down he answers her question. 'Yes, they do, since her clothes are made of godly material. If you put the necklace on you'd change of course, but when you changed back to your original form you'd be stark naked. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.' Something devilish gleams in his eyes as he stares at her._

 _'I see,' says Mayura nervously. 'But if I wore godly clothes, I would be able to transform clothed, right?'_

 _Loki shrugs. 'Sounds logical to me, I personally haven't tried it but gods' clothing can't discern between those who are gods and those who are humans. Now about you being stark naked . . .'_

* * *

Mayura shook herself, knowing that the rest of that afternoon had faded into a very long love making session that she really did not want to think about right now. She knew what she was planning was dangerous and probably a little bit crazy but she wanted to return everything back to the way it was before Spica left, and this was the only way she could think of doing it. So while she still had the nerve she opened the chest and saw the necklace sitting on the red velvet pillow like always, with shaking hands she picked it up and put it in the pocket of her robe, knowing there was something else she needed before she could carry out her plan. She left the office, making sure to close the chest before she did, then went down the hallway towards Spica's old room.

Entering the room, she was surprised to see so few things in it; there was a bed and the other basic furniture expected in a bedroom, but nothing personal or significant to Spica, like she had planned on leaving sooner than she actually had. Tentatively Mayura made her way to the closet, pleased to find a few of Spica's spare dresses hanging in there, she quickly grabbed the one that looked the warmest and set about changing her clothes. The dress was a little baggy in places, but she somewhat expected that since Spica had been a bit stockier than she, which was apparently normal for a giantess. Mayura then saw a pair of boots and some thick looking pantyhose sitting by the bed, knowing she would need those where she was going she put them on as well.

When she was finished she looked at herself in the closest mirror, considering Spica's wardrobe had consisted mainly of black dresses, Mayura was not surprised to look like she was dressed for a funeral. Not that it bothered her, she was more concerned about practicality than appearance. She then went over to her robe and pulled out the Brising necklace, fastening it around her neck she was surprised at how light the necklace actually was for being made of solid gold and heavy gems.

"Make me invisible," she said, loud enough so that her voice could be heard. She was not sure how to activate the necklace's power but she knew a few tricks to try and figure it out thanks to her time with the gods. Glancing down she saw that nothing have changed and was about the try a different means of commanding it when she looked in the mirror and gasped: she had no reflection!

' _Wow this necklace really works!'_ she thought happily as she shoved her clothes beneath the bed, hoping no one would find them before she was back with Spica. She then crept out of the room and headed for the stairs, making sure to be extremely careful as she moved, while no one could see her they could still hear her and she wanted to get out without alerting anyone. Miraculously she made it down most of the steps without incident, and then she heard Yamino and Fenrir coming up the other end.

"Why do I have to help you clean the old man's office?" whined Fenrir as he walked behind Yamino, whom was carrying a few choice-cleaning products.

"Because you agreed you'd help out around here a little more," replied Yamino as he walked past Mayura, whom was pressed up against the banister.

Fenrir passed by her position and stopped for a moment, sniffing the air; she prayed that he was not about to say he smelled her on the stairs.

"What is it, Big Brother?" asked Yamino when he saw Fenrir had not moved.

"You know, I can still smell Mom even though she's not here," said Fenrir as he stopped his investigation and quickly caught up to Yamino then the pair continued on up the stairs.

Mayura breathed a small sigh of relief as she carefully descended the stairs; Spica's clothing must have masked her smell from Fenrir, which would explain why he thought it was his mother. She made it down the rest of the stairs and to the front door, quickly opening and closing it so it did not make too much noise, then she ran down the path stopping at the gate to look back at the manor. They would notice her missing soon enough, though hopefully not too soon otherwise this would have all been an effort in futility.

She left through the gate and was relieved when Loki's spells did not render the necklace's power useless, she was headed to the Norns' house and wanted to get there without anyone seeing her; often she would run into one of her friends in the city, while that was normally pleasant today it would be dangerous. Mayura began walking but then stopped, the Norns lived quite a distance from where she was and she wanted to get there as quickly as possible.

"Make me an invisible eagle!" she said to the necklace and was instantly transfigured into the animal she had ordered. With a slight giggle she took off flying towards the Norns' mansion.

* * *

When Mayura arrived at the Norns' mansion a short time later, she was incredibly exhausted, it had probably been a bad idea to shape shift while recovering from a bad flu but she knew she could not help it now. Still an eagle she rested against the fence outside of the house, catching her breath before she had enough energy to go through the transformation again.

"Turn me back to my original human form but still invisible," she told the necklace, and then felt herself growing to her normal shape. Cautiously she walked through the archway that led up to the house, curious to see if the spells would deactivate the necklace and after she was on the other side she looked in a puddle to see that she was still invisible. With a small smile she continued up to the house, unsure of whether to knock or just go in, when the door opened without her beckoning she knew it was safe to go through.

Standing in the entryway she listened for any sign of the Norn sisters being home but then remembered that today was their fortune telling day down at the park, so none of them were home. With a sigh of relief she took off the necklace, feeling the power that kept her invisible leave her body, then headed in the direction she remembered the Norns kept their portal to the other worlds only to find a familiar guarding the door. When it saw her it seemed pleased so she knew she was not about to be attacked.

"Could you please take me down to the portal?" she asked politely and the familiar nodded before opening the door magically, it beckoned to her and she followed it down the staircase to the portal's sanctuary. The room was dimly lit with torches but the portal seemed to glow in their own right, lighting up a majority of the room. Mayura gulped a little when she saw it, wondering how she was going to open it, then she looked down at the familiar.

"Can you work the portal?" she asked it and it nodded. "Can you set it so I can travel to Utgard?"

The familiar nodded though looked a little scared as he walked over to the pedestal, using its magic to summon the sundial from the floor then continued to use its magic to move the dial so it was turned all the way on the right. The portal flashed brilliantly before the image of snowy scene displayed on the glass, a cold breeze blowing into the room.

"The next time I travel to one of these places, it will be warm," she vowed as she approached the portal. She then presented the Brising necklace to the familiar. "I need you to guard this, you can't let your mistress or anyone else know that you have this, okay?" The familiar nodded, its beady eyes gleaming at the sight of the necklace, then she remembered she should probably tip the creature for its assistance. For a terrifying second she thought that she had nothing to tip it when she felt something crunching in her boot, kneeling down she extracted a crumpled up bill for 5,000 yen.

The familiar saw the money and chirped happily, indicating it wanted the money so she handed it and the necklace over to the creature then she stood up ready to leave for Utgard. "Don't tell anyone I was here, understand? You were very helpful to me," she told the familiar before taking a deep breath and stepping into the portal.

Utgard's harsh winds instantly chilled her to the bone as she struggled to walk a few feet in the knee-deep snow, unable to see much through the blinding mass of snowflakes that pelted her face like tiny pieces of glass. She could barely see with the little light provided from the portal but then it closed, leaving her in almost complete darkness. There was no way for her to tell where she was or if she was going in any direction, everything looked the same as she muddled her way through the snow and wind, the dress she was wearing barely keeping the cold away from her feverish skin. _'Maybe I should have brought my cloak,'_ she thought as she trudged along.

* * *

Mayura had no idea how long she had been walking for when she collapsed from a mix of exhaustion and illness, her body giving into the feeling that she was dying though she herself could not feel anything except the slow beating of her heart. The snow felt nice against her aching body, like a firm mattress was cradling her. She tried to swallow but her throat was still raw from shouting for Spica, hoping her voice would carry on the wind but she was sure no one had heard her. Regret and anger began to wash over her as she laid there; anger that she had failed in bringing Spica back and regret in that she had not told anyone she was here so they could come rescue her. Then again she was so tired of having to be rescued, all it did was inconvenience everyone and cause them endless trouble. This last time it had cost them someone very special to them and while she wanted to make everything right she also wanted to apologize to Spica for being the reason she was taken from her family. After all it was where she belonged.

"Fenrir's right," she said softly, her eyes closing. "I am just a big ball of chaos."


	11. Devastating Consequences

Loki awoke the next morning as the sun peaked through the curtains, he had not realized he had been so exhausted until he had lain down to take a short nap, the last few days of stress coupled with taking care of Mayura had really taken a toll on him. He sat up in bed and stretched his arms high above his head, the sensation feeling incredible on his tired body. For a moment he thought about going back to sleep, after all there was nothing pressing for him to do, then he looked over and saw that Mayura was missing.

 _'Maybe she's downstairs already,'_ he thought as he went to change his clothes into something more appropriate for lounging around the house. He extracted a yellow polo shirt and tan slacks, discarding his previous day's attire in favor of the clean clothes, when he was finished he left the bedroom heading down to the kitchen. The clock in the hall chimed nine o'clock and he could smell delicious aromas coming from the kitchen, waking his empty stomach.

"Good morning, Master Loki," said Yamino as he entered the kitchen, pouring a cup of tea. "Eggs Benedict is on the menu today, with eggs delivered fresh from the farm and toast made from homemade bread."

"I want your recipe for the bread, Yamino," came a voice from the breakfast table. Loki looked over to see his future father-in-law sitting at the table with a plate of food and cup of tea. "This has to be the best bread I've ever had," raved Daidouji as he cut a large bite for himself.

Wordlessly Loki sat down across from him, a little confused as to why he was here and acting like this was a normal occurrence when this was anything but, this was honestly the first time Daidouji had come to the mansion without an event being his reason.

"It's good to see you this morning, Daidouji," said Loki as Yamino set his cup of tea down in front of him, the sweet smell of orange blossoms wafting from the cup.

"And you, Loki," said Daidouji pleasantly. "I hope you don't mind my stopping by, I called last night but Yamino said you and Mayura were both asleep, so I decided to come over with my treat for Mayura this morning instead."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Daidouji looked a little embarrassed as he lifted a plastic bag from the floor. "Vanilla pudding cups, they're her favorite or so I remember. Her mother used to give them to her whenever she was sick so I thought I might carry on that little tradition."

"I'm sure Miss Mayura will appreciate them when she gets up," said Yamino as he took the bag from Daidouji and went to put them in the refrigerator.

"What do you mean when Mayura gets up, Yamino?" asked Loki before he took a sip of his tea.

Yamino looked at him curiously. "I mean when she wakes up, of course. Last I knew she was still in bed with you, wasn't she?"

Loki put down his cup and frowned deeply. "When I woke up she wasn't in bed, so I thought perhaps she had come down for breakfast, but that's clearly not the case." He then stood up, ignoring the worried look on Daidouji's face. "If none of us has seen her since yesterday, it stands to reason that she was up before any of us, so she could be out with one of our friends. Mr. Daidouji, there's a list of numbers by the phone in the parlor for Narugami, Reiya Ohshima, Koutaro, and the Norns. Please call these numbers starting with Narugami then going in any order you choose, ask them if they've seen Mayura this morning."

Daidouji nodded, though he was a little suspicious of Loki's orders, after all Mayura would probably show up at any minute, and this seemed a bit excessive. When he was out of the room Loki turned to his sons.

"Yamino, Fenrir, we're going to search the mansion for Mayura," he said sternly, leaving no room for argument. "Fenrir, I want you to sniff out for Mayura's trail and see where she's been of late starting in the bedroom. Ecchan, go to Daidouji and keep an ear out for any news on Mayura while he's on the phone. Fall out."

Yamino and Fenrir looked at each other and shrugged as they followed their father out of the kitchen, Fenrir paying particular attention for any of Mayura's familiar scent. He thought he smelled it by the kitchen door but he could not be sure if it was fresh, after all she went in there quite frequently, so it would be best to start in the last place she had been seen and go from there. They followed Loki into the master bedroom, Yamino immediately going to make the bed but Loki stopped him.

"Nothing in here can be disturbed," he said sternly and Yamino relented though the sight of the unmade bed made him a little anxious. "Fenrir, sniff around for the freshest scent, let me know when you've found it."

Fenrir nodded and began sniffing around the bed, mentally deciphering between the old and new before locking down on the newest scent trail, this one was laced with illness so he knew it was very recent. "Found it, Daddy!"

"Good, now follow it," said Loki and Fenrir barked before heading out of the room, nose close to the ground as he followed the smell to the stairs then chased it down though he did notice it diverged on the floor of his father's study. He almost changed course to go there but something about it was a little different so he decided to follow this trail to the end, and then go back to this one. The scent led them straight back to the kitchen though just outside the door, where it lingered.

"So Mayura did come to the kitchen?" asked Yamino, looking puzzled. "But that's impossible, I would've seen her or at least heard her, I was up at six like always."

Loki's frown deepened. "Fenrir, how old would you say this trail is?"

Fenrir thought for a moment. "Almost eighteen hours by my reckoning."

"That puts Mayura coming to the kitchen at about four o'clock in the afternoon," muttered Loki. "Which was a couple of hours after I went up to check on her and fell asleep." He looked down at Fenrir. "Are you sure this is the freshest trail you could find?"

"Yes, everything else was too old and I could only smell the sickness in this one," replied Fenrir, trying to hide his nervousness. If what his father said was true, then Mayura was probably standing outside of the door when he and Yamino were talking about their mother and she might have heard some of the things he had said.

"Does it lead anywhere else?" demanded Loki, a shadow of concern gracing his features.

"I think I smelled it going into your office, and one other place," said Fenrir.

"Show me," said Loki and Fenrir bounded off back up the stairs, the other two following closely behind as the wolf led them to the office floor, standing at a kind of fork.

"She went into the office and to a room down the hall," declared Fenrir, turning around to face his father.

"You go investigate the office," said Loki, his eyes darting around as he tried to think of why Mayura would be here without him. "Yamino and I will look in the other room. Which one was it?"

Fenrir sniffed again then pointed with his paw at a door three down from their location. "Mom's old room."

Loki and Yamino shared a concerned look before splitting up, Loki nearly knocking the door off its hinges as he entered Spica's old room. Nothing seemed amiss but Fenrir said Mayura had been in here and he was never wrong about those kinds of things, so it required a thorough investigation. Silently they went looking around, Yamino around the bed and Loki to the closest. He opened the doors and felt some sadness at seeing Spica's dresses hanging up like she was going to return at any moment. His eyes scanned the contents, noticing almost immediately that there were two hangers without a garment on them; one could be attributed to Spica taking one to wear the day they left for the beach house, but he could not see why there were two empty hangers when she had only brought one black dress.

"Master Loki!" exclaimed Yamino and Loki turned around to see him holding a light pink nightgown and white robe, both were Mayura's and she had been wearing the nightgown the last time he saw her. "I found these under the bed, like someone wanted them hidden."

' _Why would Mayura undress?'_ he wondered, thinking about the clothes they found and the dress that was missing. _'Did she actually change out of her clothes and into Angrboda's? And even if that were true, why would she do such a thing? I'm missing something.'_

"What does this mean?" he pondered aloud as he closed the closet door. "Yamino, can you think of any reason why Mayura would come in here in the first place?"

Yamino shrugged as he draped Mayura's clothes over his arm. "Nothing comes to mind, I'm sorry. She never expressed an interest in being in here before, respecting Mother's right to having a space of her own."

"I don't like this, Yamino," said Loki grimly just as Fenrir came bounding into the room. "What did you find in the office?"

"She was there," panted Fenrir. "She spent some time in your chair then went to the filing cabinet in the back corner, though I couldn't tell you why."

Fear washed over Loki, he knew what was kept on that filing cabinet and while it would explain the strange clues they had found he did not want that to be the reality. Without saying a word he dashed from the bedroom straight for his office, approaching the cabinet in question when he entered though he felt like he was walking with lead feet. After what seemed like an eternity he reached his target, the chest that held the Brising necklace, with shaking hands he opened the lid. Breathing erratically he realized that his worst fears had been confirmed.

' _She's run away!'_ he thought miserably as their conversation regarding the necklace came rushing to the forefront of his mind. _'She needed Angrboda's dress . . . only godly clothes can transform . . . the Brising necklace made her invisible . . . so she left without any one noticing.'_

His heartbeat thundered in his ears, deafening all other sounds as his thoughts continued to swirl around the fact that Mayura was gone, gone without a trace or clue as to where she was going or why she left. Loki's vision blurred with unshed tears, his hands acting on their own accord as they lifted the chest from the cabinet and flung it at the wall across the room, barely missing Yamino whom was about to enter to see what was keeping him. Not saying anything coherent, Loki bolted from the room and down the stairs charging for the front door with the rest of the household following after him, calling his name, begging him to stop. He could not do any of that, he had to find Mayura and ask her why she left him, what possessed her to run away when there was nothing wrong. Or was there? Had he missed something else, something important?

Loki made it past the gate and onto the sidewalk before his mind fully caught up to his body, and it returned just in time for him to trip on a slightly uneven slab of concrete, which sent him flailing forward. He landed on his hands and knees; he could feel the pain in his legs and bare feet so he was sure he was scraped up pretty badly and that his pants were likely ruined but he could care less. His gaze was focused on the pavement beneath him when he noticed two dark spots, like raindrops, suddenly appear and for a moment he thought it was raining then he saw two more dark spots form incredibly close to the first. It was then he realized that it was not raining at all, the drops were coming from him; he was crying.

He shut his eyes and the tears felt cold against his skin as they ran down his face, each trail they made feeling akin to ice. Loki could feel them gathering at his jaw before inevitably falling to the ground, assisted in the act by his heaving chest as sobs wracked his body, leaving him gasping for air as he tried to control his actions but in the end failing miserably. He was not sure he could get up, his world had been turned completely on its head, nothing except Mayura's return could make it right again.

Suddenly he felt an arm around his shoulders, for a split second he thought it was Mayura, though when he turned he saw Yamino kneeling beside him a worried look on his face.

"Master Loki, what's wrong?" asked Yamino, holding his father against him as best he could in the circumstances.

"She's gone, Yamino," choked Loki, a sob becoming lodged in his throat. "Mayura's gone."

Yamino's eyebrows shot to his hairline but he managed to compose himself before his father saw his surprise. "Don't worry, Father, we'll find her, we'll find her."

Loki could only nod as he leaned against his youngest son, tears still spilling freely down his face.

Fenrir looked on at his father and younger brother, he heard the desperate tone in his father's voice when he told Yamino that Mayura was gone and he could smell the salty tears. For a moment he had thought that with Mayura gone things would go back to how they were, that his father would be like his old self, but seeing him brokenhearted and despairing like this was enough to move the wolf to tears. _'This is all my fault,'_ he thought sadly.

* * *

The doorbell chimed and Yamino quickly answered it, relieved to see Narugami standing at the door with the rest of the reinforcements. When it was confirmed that Mayura was indeed gone, Daidouji had changed tactics and decided to organize a search party in order to find her; Narugami had been the first and only one he called, as the god of thunder said he would take care of the rest. Now seeing them all standing on the doorstep of the manor, Yamino understood what he had meant and hastily ushered them inside and directed them to the office, warning them beforehand that Loki was not in the best of moods and for them to tread very carefully.

The gods were familiar with Loki's rage, having seen it on more than one occasion but when they arrived in his office, it was not the gaze of a wrathful god that met them; it was that of a heartbroken man. For a moment they were all startled, when Yamino had said bad mood they had expected anger, not this. This made him look so much more human and it was more frightening than anything they had seen before.

"Thank you for coming," said Loki, his voice hollow as he stood to greet his friends. "I'm not sure what Narugami told you, but Mayura's been missing for almost a full day and we don't know where she could be, which is why we called you. Now, if anyone has any information, now is the time to tell me so we can bring Mayura home."

"I'm sorry, Loki, but we don't have any," replied Narugami, the only one brave enough to face the god. "We've all asked Heimdall and the Norns if they could decipher anything but—"

Loki looked irately at the gods in question, as if unable to comprehend that they knew nothing regarding the whereabouts of his beloved Mayura. "What do you mean they couldn't decipher anything?" he asked, his voice rising with anger. "The Norns are the goddesses of fate! Surely they could figure out where we will find her or look to see where she went. And Heimdall, his senses are so extreme he can hear a single blade of grass growing in a field and see to the ends of the galaxy. Is it so difficult to find one girl? Well, since he couldn't find one giant, I guess it is."

"Loki, that's enough!" snapped Narugami. "We're your friends, not your enemies and we're all limited in our powers to a certain degree. If what Daidouji said is true, then Mayura used the Brising necklace to keep herself from being seen, and the magic it produces makes it impossible for her to be traced. Even if we used the Norns or Heimdall, we wouldn't know where to look that way. You know that, Loki."

The god of mischief looked at the other gods in despair, what Narugami said was true; he did know that the use of the Brising necklace meant Mayura could not be traced by either the Norns or Heimdall. All of this he knew, and yet his mind refused to accept the truth, that they would have to search the old-fashioned way and that could be just as fruitless. A low moan escaped the god's lips as he fell back into his chair, cradling his face in his hands as he tried not to lapse into tears again.

The others looked at the god, stunned that this was the same god whose very existence terrified their king, seeing him this way was unsettling. None of them could grasp how a human girl could command such great love from him; it was simply unheard of in their world for such love to exist.

Narugami moved forward tentatively, wondering if he should be doing this at all or simply take the others and begin their search for Mayura without him. His decision, however, was made for him when he looked back at the others and they all nodded encouragingly. With a small sigh he completed the long walk to Loki's desk, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder though fully expecting it to be bucked off the moment it made contact. Miraculously his hand remained where he set it, but the touch made Loki look up at him expectantly, and Narugami froze, unable to think of anything to say.

" _We need to find her, Thor,_ " said Loki, now speaking in Ancient Norse. " _I don't even care about why she left, all I want is for her to be safely at home. Please tell me that you won't abandon me now, I need all the help I can get._ "

Narugami was stunned to hear the old tongue again, it must have meant that the feeling of heartbreak was enough to have Loki so scatterbrained he no longer knew which language to speak. " _I promise, we'll find her,_ " he replied in the old tongue. " _We're her friends and we want her back too, I swear on Mjolnir that we will bring her home_."

Loki smiled sadly then looked at the others, speaking normally now. "Your mission is simple, find clues that could lead us to Mayura's location or give us some insight into why she left in the first place. Please speak with Yamino for further instructions."

The gods nodded silently and began to file out of the room, Narugami staying only long enough to wordlessly ask Loki if he was going to be all right alone. Loki nodded and the other god understood, and then left his side to join the others, glancing strangely at Heimdall whom was still lingering.

The god of strategy walked forward, meeting the other god's steady and questioning gaze before stopping just short of the desk. "Loki, I wanted to tell you that I think I was partially wrong about my earlier assessment of your relationship with Mayura," said Heimdall slowly, gauging Loki's reaction. "I don't believe anymore that you see her as merely a trophy, I now see that you genuinely love her, that you need her not purely want her. I apologize for making such a poor judgment earlier, perhaps I didn't have all of the facts."

He expected Loki to begin gloating, to tell him off for making such claims before, but he got none of that. Instead the other god simply smiled.

"Thank you, my friend," said Loki and Heimdall nodded dumbly before tripping out of the room in a daze.

* * *

Warmth was the first thing Mayura registered as she slowly came back into consciousness, there was something warm close by and for a moment she reached out hoping it was Loki. Her hand brushed across a rough cloth then what felt like stone, the warmth she felt still out of reach as she searched blindly for the source.

"Loki," she murmured, wondering why she could feel his body heat but not his body beside her. "Loki."

In the back of her mind she heard something get up across from her position and move closer to where she was sitting, gentle footsteps that were vaguely familiar. Groggily she opened her eyes and was surprised to see Spica hovering above her, a cloth in her hand that she pressed to Mayura's forehead, the cold cloth instantly chilling her despite the warmth she could feel. Looking just a little beyond Spica she could see a blazing fire burning, it was close enough to keep her warm but not close enough to touch.

"Loki," she mumbled disappointedly. "Loki."

"Hush, Mayura," said Spica gently as she dabbed the cloth against her cheeks. "You need to rest, you've been very sick and you're starting to recover. We can talk about Loki when you're feeling better, now please sleep."

Mayura nodded, though she was still dazed. "Okay, nightie night."


	12. Telling the Truth is Soul Cleansing

Yamino sighed heavily as he and Fenrir trudged back to the mansion, flyers in hand as the sun set behind them, indicating the end to another unsuccessful day of searching for Mayura. They had spent a majority of the afternoon with Narugami and Frey, handing out flyers to anyone who would look at them, asking them if they had seen her and if so if they had any information as to where she might be currently. This past week had been nothing but pounding the pavement, scouring every street and shop in the city trying to get the word out about Mayura's disappearance; they could hardly go to the police without risking exposure, so they had agreed to avoid the police station. Other than that, they had kept at it, talking to everyone who passed them and stapling flyers to every telephone pole. So far nothing had been gleaned from the search.

At their insistence, their father had remained at the manor while they searched for Mayura; initially he had gone with them but a few times he had gotten out of hand, tackling people who dismissed their flyers and chasing after girls he thought might have been Mayura. The scenes that followed these events often required a great deal of smoothing over and a few times a hastily written check after the others had managed to pull Loki off of his target. More than once, it had required the strength of every god and creature present to pry him off of someone, especially if that person had made an insignificant slight. That was when they decided Loki could do his part from the mansion.

Yamino was not sure which was worse, the way he had acted when he was out in the open assisting them or now when he was locked away in the manor. Lately he had started to become more and more withdrawn from the family, sitting in his office for hours just staring out the window at nothing in particular. The few times he spoke it was as if he were talking to Mayura, reciting stories from Norse mythology or making comments about something he saw in passing while watching the world outside. Yamino had been concerned that this behavior was indicative of a mental breakdown but Daidouji had informed him that he had done something similar after his wife died, and that it was a natural part of grieving. While Mayura might not be dead, Loki was grieving her unsolved absence.

"Do you think the old man will come out of his room today?" asked Fenrir as they entered the mansion, Ecchan floating over to greet them.

"No Master Loki," reported Ecchan sadly, answering the great wolf's question. "He very sad without Mayura. Any luck today?"

Yamino shook his head forlornly. "Nothing today, Ecchan. A few people asked if they could join in our search party, some past clients actually, so we have a few more eyes and ears on the streets but nothing else."

Ecchan looked at the floor, tears forming in his big eyes. "Want Mayura!"

"I know, Ecchan," said Yamino softly as he pulled the familiar into his arms. "We all want Mayura back."

"Except Fenrir," spat Ecchan, glaring down at the dog. "He hates Mayura!"

Fenrir growled but then thought better of it, there was no point in arguing with the little marshmallow when he did not have a leg to stand on; he had made it abundantly clear before that he was angry with Mayura for being the reason his mom was gone. Looking back though, he wished he could take back every cruel word he had said, after all he had just been upset and hardly meant any of it now. Mayura was still his friend and his future stepmother, something else that had taken him awhile to come to terms with, but he had until his mother was traded away. Then his temper flared and he more or less wished Mayura was dead, something he really wanted to take back now.

"Perhaps we should start dinner," suggested Yamino and he ushered them all quickly to the kitchen, glancing up at the door to the office before disappearing into the kitchen.

* * *

Loki sighed a little as he watched the sun set outside of his office. "Look, Mayura, Skoll is chasing the sun down past the horizon. Soon, Hati will chase the moon into view." He looked to his right where Mayura usually stood and sighed heavily, he knew she was not actually with him but acting like she was seemed to help him retain some of his sanity. Though to his family he probably seemed insane.

"I hope wherever you are, Mayura, you can see the sun and moon," he whispered as he turned to his desk while the sun disappeared and with it his hopes that she would return to him that day. The night was the worst for him, sleeping without her proved to be incredibly difficult and not something he wanted to ever repeat again when they found her. Often he found himself unable to fall asleep until well into the night, and when he eventually did it was always restless and fitful, not deep and peaceful like to which he was accustomed. He would happily trade away his powers to have Mayura by his side again, anything to end this infernal agony and worry.

"Master Loki," said Yamino as he came in, a tray of food in his arms. "Master Loki, dinner's ready. I've made grilled chicken paninis with homemade pesto with a side of lightly salted chips I bought through mail order. I've also included a nice glass of freshly made lemonade made with lemons from California, with a small sprig of mint for extra flavor."

Loki waved dismissively before turning back around to the window. "Not hungry."

Yamino's smile fell but he approached his father all the same, balancing the tray expertly before setting it down in front of his father's turned chair. "Please, Father, you must try to eat something. Fasting isn't going to bring Mayura back any faster than eating, so you should at least try to keep your strength up."

"What's the point of all this?" muttered Loki as he watched the first inkling of stars escape the ink black night sky. "Nothing we're doing is accomplishing anything, and we haven't had any leads in several days."

Yamino knew his father was not referring to the food. "Father, perhaps we should enlist the Norns? We might not be able to figure out where Mayura went after putting on the Brising necklace, but we might be able to figure out why she left. If the trail Fenrir found is accurate, she obviously had a plan, so maybe if we figure out what it was then we could start narrowing down places."

Loki had considered this several times but had been reluctant to act on the idea, he did not want to come face to face with the fact he probably sent her running when she learned of his past human hating nature. Then again, what did they have to lose? "Fine," he said quietly. "Call the Norns and have them come over tomorrow morning, let them know we'll provide whatever they might require."

"Yes, Master Loki," said Yamino, barely able to keep the joy and relief out of his voice as he spoke. Turning to leave he nearly jumped in the air at his minor victory, while Mayura's whereabouts were at the forefront of everyone's mind, Yamino knew his father was tearing himself apart trying to figure out why she had left in the first place. Perhaps if they could figure out why all of this happened, it might spark something in his father to come back to them to be a more active participant.

"Mayura," whispered Loki when he heard the door close behind him. "Wherever you are, I beg your forgiveness for whatever it is I did against you. I believe what you said, that you love every part of me including who I used to be, but if it was too much to handle at that time I understand. It would be difficult for anyone to process after the ordeal you had been through.

"And if it isn't that, then I apologize for treating you as a trophy, or ever made you feel that way. It was never my intention to take our love and make it something so shallow, even inadvertently; I just wanted you to be part of my life, to not feel left out anymore. Maybe in my eagerness I made it seem like all I care about is returning home to Asgard, but that isn't the case, I would happily live out the rest of eternity on Midgard as long as you were with me. I gave up Asgard once to be with you and I would happily do it again for the rest of my life. I love you."

The god of mischief was on the verge of tears when he finished his plea, hoping someway, somehow Mayura would hear his words while knowing that she would likely only hear them if he told her himself. He knew he should have done a better job with handling their relationship, he should have jumped at the chance to improve things when Heimdall chastised him for treating Mayura poorly. Instead he had put it off once things began happening, hoping to fix things during their vacation but that never happened, she was gone before he could blink and it was the same now. He wondered for a moment if he should pray to one of the gods in Asgard, beseech them to assist in their search for Mayura, but he knew it would be pointless.

* * *

Mayura woke up with a start, one of her nightmares having begun to play out moments before waking, and she desperately tried to banish the images from her mind. She felt a hand on her shoulder and for a split second thought it was Loki, then she turned to see Spica staring at her with wide eyes full of distress.

"A nightmare," she replied to the unasked question. "It was only a nightmare."

"Must have been terrible if it made you jump like that," said Spica, her voice laced with concern as she moved her hand. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Mayura shook her head. "No, not really."

Spica nodded as she retreated back to the pot she had been stirring. "That's perfectly fine, breakfast is almost ready anyhow. How're you feeling today?"

"Much better," said Mayura happily as she looked around her surroundings. She could tell they were in a cave, a snug and cozy one at that with only one tunnel as a means of entering or exiting, although she could hear wind whistling through the tunnel which indicated more than one path was present there. She glanced down and saw she was still dressed in Spica's old dress, the material keeping her warm against the chilly cave, she could also tell she was sitting on a down filled pad with several blankets piled on it and her. Looking over at where Spica was, she saw a similar pad though with far fewer blankets folded on top of it, a cloth bag not too far from that. She noticed that the giantess was no longer wearing her maid's uniform, instead she was wearing a plain brown dress with gold ornaments.

"I hope you're hungry," said Spica as she spooned porridge into a wooden bowl before handing it to Mayura. "I know you prefer having brown sugar in yours, but all I could find was some honey, I hope that works."

Mayura smiled as she took a bite, the sweetened food warming her as it traveled down her throat to her stomach. "It's delicious as always, Spica."

Spica smiled happily as she finished serving herself, then made her way back over to Mayura where she sat close to the human girl. "Don't eat too fast, you're still recovering though I have to say you look better now than you did when I found you half dead in the snow."

"That was such a stupid idea," sighed Mayura as she spooned another bite. "I should have brought something to help me see in the dark, rather than blundering through like I always do."

"You don't blunder, Mayura," said Spica gently. "You were just simply ill prepared for this journey of yours, that's all. So, if we aren't going to talk about your dream, perhaps you'd like to tell me why you're here in Utgard and not at home?"

Mayura sighed as she pushed some of her food around, she should have known this was coming, she had just wanted to delay it until she came up with a better story than the truth. "I came here to get you back, Angrboda," replied Mayura tentatively, unsure of whether she was permitted to use the giantess' real name.

Spica was obviously taken aback. "What? What do you mean? Has something happened?"

"No, nothing like that," said Mayura, calming her fears. "I just realized that you were needed back at home, everyone there is missing you terribly, your sons especially. I thought bringing you back would be best for everyone."

"But Mayura, I don't want to go back," said Spica, looking down at her bowl. "I'm happy here, happier than I've been in a long time."

Now it was Mayura's turn to be taken aback. "What? How can you be happy here with that version of Loki? He's cruel and harsh, not to mention—wait a second, you're in love with him, aren't you?"

"I am," replied Spica fondly. "He's the man I fell in love with centuries ago, one I never thought to have back, yet now I do. I was granted my greatest wish and I don't want to return back to Midgard."

"But I thought you were in love with Loki," protested Mayura, her meal forgotten. "The Loki on Midgard, I mean. I've seen the way you look at him sometimes, like you're making puppy eyes at him."

Spica chuckled warmly. "I admit, I have at times looked at him a little too fondly, you must forgive a woman for her weakness; it simply can't be helped when around Loki. But I assure you, Mayura, you have nothing to worry about from me. Loki's heart is most undoubtedly yours and yours alone."

Mayura cocked an eyebrow, unsure of what the giantess was implying.

"Mayura, you can't possibly be that blind," sighed Spica with a shake of her head. "Yes, I might have been his wife at one point, but you are the woman he loves with all his heat. He's done so much to stay by your side, it puts most other love stories to shame."

"I know how much he's sacrificed," admitted Mayura quietly. "He could have gone to Asgard and fought Odin in order to become king, right all of the wrongs done to him and his family but he didn't. I still don't understand why he would give up so much for a mortal girl who couldn't give as much in return."

Spica smiled slightly. "Really? You don't think putting up with having your lover's former wife around everyday for the last three years doesn't count? Or accepting that he and your friends lied to your for quite some time about some of your adventures? Mayura, when you agreed to be his intended, actually even before that you gave up a completely normal life free from gods and other creatures. Don't ever forget that you made sacrifices too."

"You know, for a long time I thought I was standing in your way to be with Loki," said Mayura softly. "I thought you both still loved each other and were going to get back together, I mean you had been married for a very long time. I knew there was nothing I could do or say to stop that from happening if it did, so I was afraid, scared that I was about to lose something that wasn't truly mine to begin with."

"Oh Mayura," laughed Spica. "That was never going to happen, because like I said before, Loki's heart is solely yours and no one can take your place. Besides, he was yours the moment he saw you, he told me as much when I asked him how you met."

Mayura pouted slightly. "I wish Loki was as comfortable talking to me as he is with you, I always seem to find things out secondhand or long after they've happened. It's like he can talk to everyone else about what's going on except me."

Spica pressed her lips together in a fine line, she knew this feeling all too well. "Did you ever think he purposefully did it this way?"

"What do you mean?" asked Mayura curiously. "Why would Loki want to keep me out of the loop?"

"Well, he did this to me too when we were married," said Spica with a small sigh. "Don't think you're the only woman in his life who felt left out, but then one day I asked him why and he told me there were two reasons: one, he didn't want to worry me unnecessarily and two he wanted a haven where he could go and not be bothered by his troubles. I suspect he's following the same line of reasoning with you, though I can tell you aren't happy about it."

Mayura shook her head. "Not even a little, I would rather I found out everything about him and his troubles now rather than learn about them down the road, if anything so I don't get egg on my face!"

Spica laughed, the melodic sound echoing off the cave walls. "Loki was right when he said you were a handful, so insistent on finding out everything you possibly can about anything. That's why I like you, you're much spunkier than most other gods and are so insatiable in your pursuit of knowledge."

"Now if only I was as smart as the rest of you," said Mayura lightly though a shadow crossed her eyes.

"I think you're just fishing for compliments now," teased Spica. "You're an incredibly smart woman, Mayura and you should give yourself more credit. It's not every mortal who can come up with arguments that win over the gods; you were very impressive when you came up with why it would have been better to leave rather than stay at home when the snow storm happened."

Mayura snorted. "Apparently not, the giant still found us and I was still kidnapped. Which is something I'm getting very tired of, by the way."

"The giant may have found us but you inadvertently saved dozens of lives that day," said Spica sternly. "What do you think would have happened if it had attacked us at home rather than out in that secluded area? Many people would have been hurt or even killed. You're the reason none of that happened, always remember that. And about getting kidnapped, perhaps you could persuade Loki into teaching you how to fight with those weapons Hild so generously gave you?"

"Loki won't go for that," sighed Mayura as she spooned a bite of porridge. "He prefers keeping me safe on the sidelines."

Spica rolled her eyes. "Well that didn't stop you from engineering that slingshot, now did it? I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask Loki to train you against possibly attackers, after all every woman in Asgard and the rest of the Nine Worlds is expected to have some training. One thing about Loki, if you cite that something is tradition, he'll feel more obligated to do it; just a little trick I've learned over the years."

"That explains why he went ahead with the _Shinto_ ceremony," laughed Mayura. "That bit of information might come in handy later on, thanks for that. So how do I get him to open up more to me about what's bothering him or to tell me what's going on first?"

"You just have to remind him that you're his wife and he needs to allow you to help him with his burdens," replied Spica simply. "I learned that too late in our marriage and I think that was what was part of why we separated, if I had known he had a desire to explore the other worlds and want to be with the gods, things might have been different. But now I'm telling you what you need to do to avoid the same mistake I made. Marriage isn't easy, not even with Loki, but I want to help you out in any way that I can."

Mayura smiled happily at the giantess, glad that they had this time to talk. "So, tell me what marriage was like with Loki in the early years."

* * *

Fenrir was sweating bullets, sooner or later his secret was going to be discovered and then all hell would break loose on him; more specifically his father would rain fire down on his head. The previous night he had heard Yamino call one of the Norns and request their presence at the mansion the following morning, probably to do what Fenrir had feared they would all along. The Norns had the ability to look into the past and future then project select images into the present time. If they looked at the timeline of before Mayura put on the Brising necklace, they would see that she had overheard his conversation and that would lead to the end of his life. Not only would his father be angry with him for saying such horrible things about Mayura, but he would be even angrier that he did not come forward and say anything; instead he had let his father think he had been the reason for Mayura's disappearance. There would be no saving him now.

The household and the Norns had all gathered in the office, including Daidouji whom had been staying with them during this time, all had somber looks on their faces as they waited for Loki to speak. Fenrir was struggling between blurting out the truth and remaining quiet.

"Norns, thank you for coming," said Loki finally, addressing the trio. "I know I should have done this the moment I discovered Mayura missing but . . . I was afraid. Now, what do you need from me to get this started?"

"An article of clothing Mayura was wearing the day she went missing," replied Urd, the Norn whom would be conducting the spell. "Preferably unwashed but it doesn't matter."

Loki looked to Yamino who went over and presented the folded nightgown to the eldest Norn sister.

"Is there anything else you need?" asked Loki, his heart pounding in anticipation for what was to come next.

Urd shook her head as she unfolded the garment. "No, this is all I need. Are you sure you wish to go through with this, Lord Loki? Despite what may be revealed?"

Loki thought for a moment before answering, while he was terrified to find out why Mayura had left, he knew this was their best chance at discovering where she might have gone. "Yes, I'm sure," he said at last. "Please, go ahea—"

"Stop!" shouted Fenrir, jumping down from the couch so he was in front of his father's desk. "I'll tell you everything, just please don't go through with this."

Everyone's eyes were on Fenrir, wondering what in the Nine Worlds he knew about Mayura's disappearance; Loki especially was interested to hear what his eldest had to say. Silently he indicated to Fenrir to continue, though the wolf was a little reluctant.

"Well," he started, hoping the words would just come spilling out but was saddened when they did not. "Well, she's gone because of me . . . I said some things I regret now and I think she overheard me."

Loki's expression was impassive as he stared down at his eldest. "Please continue, Fenrir."

Fenrir swallowed hard as he mustered the courage to continue. "I was angry with you for trading Mom away to get Mayura back, I thought there had to be another way, and I was venting about it to Yamino among other things. We both agreed that we missed Mom and that you did too."

"I don't understand why you would think this would chase Mayura away?" asked Loki, somewhat confused.

"I-I-I then said that she was your princess," stammered Fenrir, his body trembling with fear. "And that since she was your princess, she didn't have to do anything around here except sit on your lap and drink tea in your office. Then I said that since she was sick, we were expected to wait on her hand and foot."

"That wasn't exactly how you phrased it," muttered Yamino quietly and his father acknowledged his words with a slight nod.

"Was there anything else?" asked Loki, his voice hard. He knew Fenrir had a jealous streak and was often possessive of his family, but he had no idea he was capable of saying such things about someone he claimed to care about.

Fenrir nodded. "I said that all she was is a big ball of chaos . . . and that when she died, I hoped you'd find someone better."

That snapped Loki's calm demeanor.

"You said what!?" cried the god, his eyes going red as he jumped up from his chair, pure anger radiating from him like heat.

Fenrir started to back up, terrified that he was about to be killed. "I'm-I'm sorry, Daddy."

"Sorry isn't good enough!" shouted Loki, barely able to control his temper. "What you said was terrible, Fenrir, absolutely deplorable! Mayura cares about you as she does the rest of us, she hardly deserved to be spoken about like that."

"I know," said Fenrir meekly, his head hanging.

"I can't believe you, Fenrir," said Loki, noticeably disappointed. "I thought of all the people in the world who would be happy for me it would be you, but I guess you found Mayura too much of a threat to your little world to stop and think about the consequences. Not only did you likely chase away the woman I love, but you kept quiet about it right up until your secret was about to be revealed, leaving us to wonder and grasp at any possible explanation."

Fenrir did not even look up or try to protest, he knew everything his father was saying was true and he had nothing to counter him with.

"I want you out of my sight until I tell you otherwise," said Loki, disgusted at his son's behavior. "Leave."

The wolf did as he was commanded and left the room, his head still hanging down. When he was gone, Loki nearly collapsed against his desk, his display of anger having considerably drained him of energy. He still could not wrap his head around the fact that Fenrir had said any of that, it just did not seem possible that someone who claimed to care so much about his family and friends could say such terrible things about one of them. If anything it reminded him of what his twin had told Mayura about humans and that made it worse.

"Father, are you going to be alright?" asked Yamino nervously, too scared to even put a hand on his shoulder as he often did during moments like this.

Loki nodded weakly as he pushed himself up from the desk. "I will be," he replied, feeling his eyes return to their usual color. "Please tell me you didn't say anything like that, Yamino."

Yamino shook his head. "No, I did not. I tried to get him to see reason but he wasn't having it, he was just so wound up about what happened to Mother."

"Figures," sighed Loki, rubbing his eyes. "He always was a mama's boy."

Urd looked up nervously from behind the couch where she and her sisters had dove behind when Loki's rage emerged. "Do you wish to go through with the ritual, Lord Loki?"

Loki shook his head. "There isn't a need to now, Urd, but you and your sisters are more than welcome to stay for lunch."

"Thank you," said Urd as she stood up, her sisters tentatively standing up as well. "Perhaps we shall retire to the backyard until then. Excuse us."

The Norns beat a hasty retreat to the door, almost tripping over each other in their hurry to flee the room, leaving only Yamino and Daidouji to deal with the still irate god.

"It still doesn't make any sense why what Fenrir said would cause Mayura to leave," said Yamino suddenly. "It might have caused her to need some space, but not this much and not for this long; it's just not like Mayura."

"I agree," said Loki in a hollow voice. "Perhaps there was something else that caused her to run away."

Daidouji stood up from behind the other couch. "You know, I've been thinking about this ever since Mayura left, and I don't think she ran away," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know my daughter well I know that she wouldn't ever leave you, Loki, or any of us for that matter without giving us some explanation. You said before that she came up to your office from the kitchen, well think about, this place is like a sanctuary to her; where she can go and forget the rest of the world for a little while."

"So she probably came up here after hearing what Fenrir said," continued Loki, picking up on Daidouji's train of thought. "That explains why she sat at my desk. But then what would possess her to use the Brising necklace? Or change into Spica's clothes for that matter?"

"Mayura's always been one to try and fix things," said Daidouji, remembering each time Mayura had felt she made a mistake so she needed to remedy it somehow. "Fenrir said he and Yamino were talking about how much they missed their mother, and they mentioned that you missed her too; plus you all seemed unhappy after returning from Utgard. Maybe she was trying to fix this situation for you."

Loki thought about Daidouji's words, they certainly made sense, and he knew Mayura well enough to know she liked to make sure everyone in her life was happy. "I'm still not sure how the necklace fits into all of this, but let's work under the assumption that Mayura was indeed trying to fix the situation with Spica. Any idea how she might do that?"

The three of them mulled over the question carefully, unaware that a fourth person had been listening in and was already hot on the trail.

* * *

Fenrir remembered the day Mayura went missing, how he had smelled his mother's scent on the stairs and how out of place that seemed, considering she had not been through the house in several days. Now that he knew Mayura had been wearing his mother's dress, he went back over to that spot and inhaled deeply, finding the trail he was looking for; it smelled prominently of his mother's apple fragrance but under it was Mayura's scent of orange blossoms and mango, underlined with the stench of illness. He cursed himself for not having realized this sooner, it might have saved them all this trouble, and as soon as he found where the trail went he ran after it. The trail went outside of the house and past the gate, he stood there for a moment and smelled around, realizing that the smell had become more of a trace as it barely lingered in the air above him.

' _She flew!'_ he realized and concentrated as hard as he could on that smell, ignoring all others as he pursued Mayura's. He could tell it went on for a while so he started running, his senses focused on her smell as he headed in a familiar direction. _'Don't worry, Daddy,'_ he thought as he rounded a corner. _'I'll find Mayura if it's the last thing I do.'_


	13. Nightmares End and Dreams Begin

Fenrir followed the trail out of the city and towards the Norns' house, the last place he expected the end up at but he had a feeling his nose was not wrong about where Mayura's scent was leading him. When he arrived at the gate he knew he was right, the smell was much stronger than it had been in a while, so he continued to follow it up to the house. For a moment he wondered how he was going to get inside when the door magically opened for him, without a second thought he went inside and sniffed around, following the scent all the way to a door at the end of the hall. There was a familiar guarding the door that did not see Fenrir, but he saw it and the Brising necklace it was admiring.

"You sneaky bastard," growled Fenrir before he launched himself at the familiar, easily pinning it to the ground, the Brising necklace flying from its hand. "Where did you get that necklace?"

The familiar looked terrified at the angry dog that had it pressed to the ground but he refused to answer, at least until Fenrir bit his nose. Then it began squawking, telling Fenrir everything.

"So a girl with pink hair gave you the necklace and some money," said Fenrir, wanting to make sure he had the story right. "And in exchange you opened the portal to Utgard."

The familiar nodded frantically.

"Why didn't you tell the Norns this when it happened?" demanded Fenrir, growling low in his chest.

The creature squawked some more, desperately trying to get out the rest of the deal with Mayura.

"She paid you to keep quiet and not show the necklace to Skuld, huh?" sneered Fenrir as he released the familiar. "Got to admit, the girl has some brains." He then walked over to the necklace and nudged it over his nose so it would move down his face over his neck. "Now, you can keep your money but I'll be taking this, it belongs to my daddy. Thanks for your help."

The familiar nodded mournfully at the loss of its trinket but made no move to get it back from Fenrir, probably knowing it would be a lost cause if he tried. Instead he pulled out the paper bill he had been given and played with it as Fenrir headed to the door, eager to return home and let everyone in on what he knew.

* * *

The journey home seemed much faster than the journey to the Norns' house, and Fenrir was amazed to have made it so far with the necklace still around his neck. Then as he walked down his street he saw Narugami heading his way.

"Fenrir!" exclaimed the god of thunder when he saw the tiny dog. "I was just on my way to see Loki, what are you doing here?"

Fenrir proudly slipped off the Brising necklace at his feet. "I found out where Mayura went and I think Daddy's figured out why, or he will once I tell him."

Narugami grinned broadly as he knelt down and picked up both the necklace and the wolf. "Well don't keep me in suspense, where did you find this?"

"At the Norns' place," replied Fenrir as Narugami started running towards the mansion.

"What was Mayura doing there?" asked Narugami as he leapt over a fire hydrant.

Fenrir waited until his stomach caught up with his body before replying. "She asked a familiar to get her to Utgard."

Narugami stopped dead in his tracks, stunned at the news. "Are you absolutely sure the familiar said she wanted to go to Utgard? I mean it, Fenrir, no tricks."

"Why would I lie about that?" demanded Fenrir as the god started running again. "Besides, the familiar wasn't exactly in the position to lie to me, so I believe him about Mayura's destination. I think she's there trying to do something good but went about it in the wrong way."

"I agree," said Narugami as he pushed through the gates, dashing up the stairs and through the front door. He smelled the food and knew they were all probably in the kitchen, so he ran in that direction, his stomach telling him he had not eaten in probably four hours.

He burst into the kitchen, startling the people inside though he hardly seemed to care.

"Narugami!" exclaimed Yamino when he saw the god. "What're you—?"

"Fenrir found Mayura!" he said somewhat breathlessly, holding up both the dog and the necklace.

Loki was on his feet immediately, forgetting for a moment that his son was responsible for her disappearance in the first place. "Where did you find the necklace, Fenrir?"

"The Norns' house," said Fenrir somewhat excitedly. "One of Skuld's familiars had it, he said Mayura asked him to keep it safe for her."

Skuld made a surprised noise that almost sounded like a yelp of pain. "We had no idea, Lord Loki! If we had, we would have told you immediately."

"I know, Skuld," said Loki though they could all tell by his tone that his patience was wearing thin. "What was Mayura doing there, Fenrir? Did the familiar say anything about that?"

Fenrir nodded though he was a little hesitant to admit that last part, knowing his father would probably be less than thrilled to hear of Mayura's location. "The familiar said . . . well, he said . . . Mayura wanted to go to Utgard."

Loki felt the color in his face drain away at Fenrir's words, that was probably the worst thing he could have said. "Now I see," he muttered as he slowly fell to the floor, everyone in the room gasping and reaching for him but he dismissed their concern. He did not fall because he was in shock, he had fallen because he figured out why Mayura had left. "She went to get Spica back."

Yamino was the first to register the weight of those words. "She must've been feeling guilty about being traded for Mother and when she heard us saying we missed her . . ."

"She decided to right the wrong," finished Loki as he stood up. "She used the Brising necklace to get out of her undetected, because she knew we would try to stop her from doing this and she needed Spica's dress in order to transform clothed. The necklace would also allow her a faster means of travel, since she could transform into anything, so she could get to the Norns' without running into anyone she knew. Then she used the familiar to open the portal at the Norns' so she could get to Utgard and bring Spica back."

"I don't know whether to be angry at her or proud of her," said Daidouji as he shook his head. "She worried us needlessly but did so in order to make her family happy."

Loki almost laughed out of relief, they finally knew where she was and why she had left, his prayers had been answered; then he thought of the one, big flaw in Mayura's plan. "Oh damn," he said then all eyes were on him. "I just thought of something, if Mayura used the portal to get to Utgard and the familiar likely closed it . . . how is she going to get back?"

Little did Loki know that in a cave in Utgard, his former wife was wondering the same thing.

* * *

Spica looked over at the pink-haired mortal, they had been in this cave together for almost a week and had spoken at length about Loki, however they had only touched briefly on why she was here to begin with. _'Surely Loki is due to collect her soon, right?'_ thought the giantess as she was handed a bowl of soup Mayura had made. _'I mean, he does know she's here.'_

"Mayura," said Spica, mixing her soup around her bowl as a distraction. "When is Loki coming to get you?"

Mayura almost choked on her bite of soup and Spica had her answer, though she wanted to wait and see what the girl had to say before jumping to conclusions.

"Uh . . . w-well . . . " stammered Mayura, wondering if the giantess already suspected she was here without Loki's knowledge. "He's not."

Spica raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. "So you mean to tell me you traveled all the way to Utgard without him knowing?"

Mayura nodded timidly, tugging at a piece of her hair, a sure sign that she was nervous.

"And how, pray tell, did you plan on returning home without his assistance?" inquired Spica, crossing her arms.

"I was hoping you would help me," admitted Mayura meekly. "I thought that when you agreed to come back with me, you might know of a way of getting back."

Spica sighed heavily. "The only way back is through a portal, and the closest one is at Utgard Loki's castle and I really can't take you there. You'd be spotted and then thrown in his dungeon until Loki somehow figured out where you were and mounted a rescue. The only reason I have been allowed to care for you is I've told Utgard Loki I was going for a short trip to reacquaint myself with Utgard."

Mayura groaned, she knew she should have thought this plan through a little bit more than she had, but all she had wanted to do was get here and find Spica; she had not given much thought as to how she was going to get back once the portal closed.

"Pray that Loki figures out your location," snapped Spica. "Honestly Mayura, why would you do something like this without telling him? Do you know what kind of a panic he must be in right now, wondering where you went and why? He's probably leveled the city looking for you."

"I doubt he went that far," mumbled Mayura only to have the giantess hit her in the back of the head hard enough that she saw stars. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For being dense!" shouted Spica. "Are you honestly going to sit there and tell me that you don't think Loki would go to Helheim just to get you back? Mayura, you are the keeper of his heart, the only creature in all the Nine Worlds who could truly destroy him if you chose. He loves you more than he ever loved me, and has proven that time and again."

Mayura knew this, she knew how much Loki loved her, knew that nothing would keep him from finding her and harming those whom had separated them but she felt unworthy. "But I'm a human," she said sadly. "A human girl who hasn't done a damn thing to deserve so much love from a man like Loki. If anything, I've given him several reasons to back away from me, not even including this little screw up."

Spica's harsh gaze softened. "I told you before that your sacrifices count as much as his do, and your love for him is just as great as his for you even if you don't see it. Mayura, you've accepted him, faults, lies, and all; that's not an easy thing especially for humans who value honesty above all other virtues. The very fact you can do that is reason enough that you deserve his love and all that comes with it."

"Your sons don't seem to see it that way," argued Mayura, though she knew she was standing on quicksand with that argument, it was really just a feeble attempt.

"My youngest does," chided Spica gently. "He's seen the love you and his father have for each other and is more than happy to welcome you as his stepmother. Fenrir has never been good with change, he hated Jormungand and Hel for quite a while before he accepted that they were there to stay. And I think he's coming around to accepting you into the family too, even if he says stupid and hurtful things, believe me he said worse about his siblings."

"But you fit into the family, I'm just an outsider who happened to fall in love with their father," said Mayura sorrowfully. "I'll always be an outsider compared to you, that's why you need to come back, to put everything right again like I can't."

Spica reached over and cupped Mayura's cheek. "Mayura, new to this world of gods you might be, but you are no outsider. You are a friend to every god and goddess down there, while you might not understand their past you are in their present and will be in their future. I've been there when you aren't around and I have to say, the gods aren't quite themselves; almost every time one of them has brought you up, and it's not always Loki or Frey. You have to learn how to be the center that holds everything up, you're just starting to figure it out now but in time I see you being magnificent."

Mayura nodded her understanding. What Spica was saying made sense, looking back on her time with Loki and the other gods, she realized that she had been the center that allowed them to stand together. She had brought their friends together, she was the one Loki leaned on when he needed support or comfort, she made sure they came back after a battle or serious injuries. Without her everything would have come apart and she suspected that that was exactly what was going on back home with her gone. She had to get back home, and soon.

* * *

The Norns led the way to their portal room, the air thick with tension as Loki and the others walked behind them, they could feel his eyes boring into their backs but they remained calm; after all they were not to blame for any of this. They arrived at the door and Urd opened it, Loki almost pushing past them in his hurry to get to the portal, they followed after him though no one said a word. When they exited the staircase the glowing mirror, the portal to the Nine Worlds, greeted them and Loki's pulse quickened.

"Get it open," he commanded, the Norns quickly scurrying to the portal in order to summon the sundial, he then looked at Narugami whom had a thin silk rope slung over his shoulder. The rope was the enchanted rope Gleipnir, the same rope that Odin had commissioned to bind Fenrir to a mountain, which they found where Fenrir had landed when entering Midgard. Wordlessly he motioned to Narugami and Yamino to tie the rope around his waist, which they did though he was a little reluctant, despite Loki's assurances that the rope would come off they were still skeptical about tying it to him; after all Fenrir had been unable to break this rope, so why did Loki think he could?

"Father, are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Yamino as he finished the knot that held the rope around his father.

"We don't have a choice," replied Loki as he tested the knot. "The portal can remain open so long as there is something in it, the moment it passes through it will close. The rope will prevent that from happening while I look for Mayura, then when I tug three times you and Narugami will pull me back through with her. And don't worry about the rope, it was only designed with Fenrir in mind, so we gods can break it easily."

Yamino and Narugami nodded hesitantly as they followed Loki to the portal just as the Norns opened it, the white world of Utgard looking back at them.

"Be careful, Lord Loki," said Urd as she handed Loki his cloak. "We can only keep the portal open for so long, so if necessary, we might have to pull you back through before you are able to locate Mayura."

"That won't be necessary," assured Loki confidently as he fastened his cloak. "I believe this will be a one time trip."

Urd nodded and stepped back, looking at her sisters skeptically as Loki stepped through the portal, Yamino and Narugami holding onto the rope as they watched their friend venture into the treacherous world alone.

* * *

"Thank you for everything, Angrboda," said Mayura as she put on a purple cloak, one Spica had managed to sneak out of Utgard Loki's castle. "I hope someday I can repay you for all you've done."

Spica shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Mayura. So long as you're a good wife to Loki and a good stepmother to my sons, I'll consider your debt repaid."

Mayura nodded happily. "Of course! Just promise to try and visit, okay? I'm sure they'd all like to see you."

"We'll see," replied Spica as she handed Mayura a handful of small runes. "These will help you get back to wherever your heart desires and should open up the spot where the portal let out. The brighter the light, the closer you are, so pay close attention to what the runes say. When you reenter Midgard, give these to Heimdall, he'll know what to do with them from there."

"Okay, I can do that much," laughed Mayura before she flung her arms around Spica's neck. "I'm going to miss you, Angrboda, I feel like I'm leaving behind a sister."

Spica smiled warmly as they parted, squeezing Mayura's hand affectionately. "I feel the same way, sister. Now, take care of yourself and look after that wily god of ours, and don't fall for any of his bullshit. He's quite good at that."

Mayura laughed loudly, the harmonious sound rebounding off the cave walls. "Oh trust me, I've dealt with it on a few occasions. Good bye, Angrboda, I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," whispered Spica as Mayura started walking out of the cave, towards home.

* * *

Loki struggled to maintain his footing in the snow, tripping more than once on the uneven terrain as he looked around for Mayura. "Mayura!" he shouted, his voice warring to be heard over the icy wind. "Mayura, where are you?"

He walked a little further, scanning the snow-covered land in front of him for any sign of his pink-haired intended. "Mayura, it's Loki! Answer me!" Loki listened to the rushing wind, hoping against hope that he would hear her voice but nothing hit his ears except the wind.

"Loki," he heard someone call out, it was a small voice but he distinctly heard it.

"Mayura!" he shouted as he towards the direction he had heard the voice come from, his heart hammering in his chest. "Mayura, it's me!"

"Loki!" he heard the voice shout again and without a doubt he knew it was Mayura, on the horizon he saw a shadowy shape coming near him and he rushed towards it.

For a moment he considered that it could be his double playing tricks on him, luring him into a trap so he could kill him, and that halted his progress. The shadow rushed forward into view and he saw Mayura standing there in a purple cloak and Spica's black dress, her hand clutched around something and a big smile on her face. He wanted to believe it was her and ached to hold her, but he knew he had to be careful.

"Prove to me that you're the real Mayura!" shouted Loki, standing his ground. "And I'll prove to you that I'm the real Loki."

"There is only one Loki here," chuckled Mayura and she suddenly shifted, her form replaced with that of Utgard Loki.

Loki's eyes widened in horror. "What have you done with Mayura?!"

Utgard rolled his eyes. "Nothing, I haven't touched your precious pet, not yet anyway. But it seems my beloved Angrboda has gone soft, likely due to your influence, and has been caring for the girl someplace nearby. I knew sooner or later you would show up, so I've been waiting."

"What do you want with me?" demanded Loki, his fingers twitching as he thought to summon Laevateinn.

"I want answers!" shouted Utgard Loki. "Starting with why you betrayed your very nature to become one of the Aesir! Surely you knew they would never accept you, that they would never truly see you as one of them."

Loki locked eyes with his twin, praying that Mayura would not appear soon. "Would you believe me if I said I was curious? After centuries of being here, I wanted to know what the other worlds were like, what they other creatures were like, so I asked to become one of the Aesir."

"You sold yourself out!" shouted Utgard as he wielded his own staff, one similar to Loki's but not quite the same, he made a slashing motion and a blast of red magic erupted from the end. Loki barely was able to dodge the attack, mentally summoning Laevateinn so he could defend himself, then he rose from the snow.

"Look at it that way if you will," shouted Loki as he avoided another blast as he sent one to his twin. "But I prefer to look at it as growing as a person, I recognized that I was ignorant to many things so I sought to enlighten myself. Being with the Aesir has given me opportunities I never dreamed of when I ruled Utgard."

Utgard Loki snarled as he sent a flurry of magic blasts at his counterpart. "I would never stoop so low as to betray my own kind, to rid myself of my wife just to be worshipped as a mediocre god."

"Then don't!" argued Loki as flew above the blasts. "I never said you had to be like me, no one has said such a thing! You may look like me, but you aren't me, you're whomever you want to be. All I ask is that you leave my family out of it."

"Angrboda is mine now!" roared Utgard Loki, blasting up at Loki whom moved effortlessly through the sky.

Loki clenched his teeth, wondering if he had been this stubborn. "I didn't say her! I meant my wife, my children, and my friends. Leave them alone, don't ever think to take them away from me or use them as leverage again!" He emphasized his point by bringing Laevateinn down in a forward motion, cutting the air as green light erupted from the end and raced towards the patch of earth where Utgard Loki stood. It hit the ground and there was a massive explosion, sending dirt and debris everywhere. Loki watched from above as the dust cleared and was hardly surprised when he did not see his double laying on the ground; with a small sigh he came back down to the ground.

"Loki!" came a woman's cry and he turned to see Mayura running towards him, a worried look on her face. "Loki, are you okay? What happened . . . ?"

He raised a hand to her, indicating for her to be quiet. "What made those strange markings at your high school? The ones you thought were made by aliens."

Mayura looked confused for a moment but she thought better than to ask why he was questioning her. "Those big guys pulling tires, don't you remember?"

Loki relaxed immediately, there was no way his double would know the answer to that question. "Now ask me a question, you have to be sure that I'm me and not Utgard Loki."

"Okay then," said Mayura, now catching onto why he was doing this. "Where did you propose to me? Be as specific as you can be."

"It was at the park," replied Loki with a small smile. "In front of the fountain where I told you three years ago that I was a _Kami_ sent to Earth to grant you one wish. You said you didn't believe in gods but wished to see me again. Does that satisfy your answer?"

Mayura nodded and almost instantly they collided in a frantic embrace, their arms tangled around each other as they tried to hold the other while tears ran down both their faces.

"I'm sorry I left!" sobbed Mayura, tightening her grip around his neck. "I just wanted to make you happy again! I thought bringing Spica back would be the right thing to do."

"I know, Mayura," said Loki, burying his face in her hair. "Just promise me you won't ever do something like this again. I was so scared I might never find you."

"I promise," said Mayura solemnly. "I love you, Loki."

"And I you, Mayura," replied Loki before tugging on the rope, his arms encircling Mayura even tighter moments before they were pulled back to the portal. "Don't let go."

Mayura answered by wrapping a leg around his before they were pulled completely through the portal, the two of them landing unceremoniously on the floor. The Norns closed the portal as Narugami, Yamino, and Fenrir rushed to Mayura, hugging her and scolding her at the same time.

"Don't ever pull another stunt like this again, Daidouji," warned Narugami as he held her snugly against his chest. "You had us working from sunup to sundown looking for you, I even had to quit a few of my jobs to search for you!"

"I'm sorry, Narugami," said Mayura sincerely but Narugami shook his head.

"I don't care," he said kindly as he pulled away. "It was worth it. I'm glad you're home, Mayura, things haven't been the same without you."

Yamino nearly tackled the god of thunder out of his way as he embraced Mayura, tears streaming down his face. "Oh Mayura! I'm so glad you're back! We've all missed you so much, you had us worried sick about you."

"I'm sorry, Yamino," said Mayura kindly. "I didn't mean to make anyone worry, I was hoping to be back in a day, not weeks later."

"All that matters now is that you're safe and sound," said Yamino with a dismissive wave. "I'll make sure to run you a hot bath and have some clean clothes ready for you when we return home." He then looked over at his father, noticing the dirt and grime on his clothes, he was about to ask about them but his father shook his head, indicating he would speak to him later.

Mayura nodded as he moved away and she saw Fenrir looking very shamefully at her, his tail was even down which was not a good sign.

"Fenrir, come here," said Loki sternly and the wolf marched obediently to where his father and Mayura were on the floor. "I think you owe Mayura an apology."

Fenrir nodded and looked up at Mayura. "I'm sorry for what I said, you know, about you and Daddy. I was very wrong and I regret everything, I didn't mean to make you leave, I was just angry."

Mayura's gaze softened and she scooped up the tiny puppy in her arms, kissing the top of his head. "I know, Fenrir, apology accepted. Next time though, if you have a problem, come talk to me about it."

"Okay," said Fenrir happily as he nuzzled against Mayura. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," replied Mayura, scratching behind his ears just as the Norns descended on her, their arms wrapping around her in a bone-crushing embrace.

"We're so glad you're back!" they exclaimed in unison. "Don't ever do that again!"

"I won't," laughed Mayura before they simultaneously helped her to her feet, then as they moved away, she felt an arm wrap securely around her waist. Looking over her shoulder she saw Loki smiling down at her.

"Let's go home," he said with a smile, the first smile the other gods had seen on his face in days.


	14. True Love Stories Never Have Endings

**A/N: Well, here it is, the end of 'The God's Bride.' Those of you whom have followed it, I greatly appreciate your encouragement and your patience. I have decided to write a sequel to this story, but it will not be written for a while. The Norse prayer in this chapter is something I found on the internet, deeming it appropriate for this story.**

 **To answer a few questions I have received in the reviews: Yes, I know Thor is married to Sif in the myths, but I'm creating my own mythology in this universe so it doesn't apply. Secondly, the color scheme mentioned in chapter 5 is something I made up entirely, glad you enjoyed it though. :)**

 **Now, without further delay, here is the end.**

* * *

Three days after Mayura's arrival home, she found herself in her childhood room preparing for her wedding ceremony. Loki had decided the night she came back that their wedding would be in three days, rather than three months, as he could not stand not having her as his wife any longer. The only person whom had objected had been Yamino, who was worried about the fact they had already spent so much money on the affair; Loki had simply shrugged, citing that he had plenty of money. Now here they were, getting ready for the next chapter in their lives and Mayura's stomach was full of restless butterflies.

"Don't worry, Mayura," said Freya as she assisted with the ceremonial headdress. "Everything's going to be fine, plus you look absolutely beautiful."

"Thanks, Freya," said Mayura breathlessly as she turned to look at herself in the mirror. She had to admit, her bridesmaid was right, the dress she was wearing complimented her perfectly and the light amount of makeup she had applied only served to enhance her natural beauty. "Freya, is this how the gods in Asgard get married?"

"It's similar," replied Freya as she adjusted the belt on her periwinkle blue kimono. "Usually it would be a week long event with trips to steam rooms, lessons on how to be a good wife, and all sorts of things. But don't compare your wedding to those in Asgard, Mayura, as yours will be as unique as you are."

Mayura smiled when she heard something scratching at the door. She made to open it but was stopped by Freya, whom was under orders by the Norns and Daidouji to not let Loki into the bridal suite lest he bring about bad luck for the couple. Freya opened the screen and looked down to see Fenrir.

"Fenny!" exclaimed Freya as she let him into the room. "What are you doing here, I thought you were with Loki?"

Fenrir nodded as he approached Mayura. "I was but then I decided to come see Mayura, things were getting too loud in the other room."

Mayura and Freya shared a quizzical look.

"Loud how?" asked Mayura as she picked up the little dog.

"Frey was going to challenge Daddy to a duel and then Narugami zapped him with his sword-hammer stick," yawned Fenrir. "They started to argue so I left."

"I better go check on Frey," said Freya as she glanced out the door in the direction the now audible noise was coming from. "Stay here, Mayura, and don't let Loki in!"

Mayura nodded as Freya ran down the hall towards the noise, Fenrir wiggled out of her arms onto the floor and looked around the room quickly.

"Okay, the coast is clear, Daddy," he said and Mayura saw something jump off of Fenrir's back and onto the floor, it was small and looked like a tick but she had a feeling it was something more.

Loki suddenly sprang up from where the tick had landed, a mischievous smile on his face and Mayura ran for cover, hoping to hide her face before he got a good look at her. He laughed when he saw her with a hatbox in front of her face.

"Mayura, you don't have to hide from me," he said smoothly as he tried to pull the box away. "I only wanted to see you."

"But it's bad luck!" argued Mayura as she took a step back from him. "If you see me before the ceremony, our marriage will be cursed."

Loki rolled his eyes, he had never been one to believe in superstition and curses. "Mayura, be reasonable, our marriage is no more doomed now than it was yesterday. Now put down that damn box and let me look at you."

Reluctantly Mayura moved the box away from her face and blushed bright red when she saw the way Loki was looking at her, like he had never seen a more beautiful woman. And he really had not.

"Oh Mayura," he whispered reverently as he approached her. "You're a goddess."

Mayura blushed harder at the compliment. "Thank you."

Loki grinned as he brushed a stray piece of hair away from her eye. "I can't believe I get to marry you, by the gods I must be the luckiest man alive."

"Good, because you're going to need all the luck you can get!" snapped Freya as she entered the room. "I should have known you would try and pull a stunt like this, Loki. Fenrir's innocent act was too well scripted to be thought of impulsively, I should have seen your hand in this."

"What can I say, Freya?" asked Loki as he took Mayura's hand. "I'm a man with a simple weakness."

Freya rolled her eyes as Mayura looked away bashfully.

"I don't care what your weakness is," said Freya, wagging her finger at Loki. "You need to get out of here and get ready for the ceremony, no arguments!"

Loki rolled his eyes before kissing Mayura's cheek. "I'll see you soon, dearest." He then walked out of the room, throwing Freya a smirk as he passed her before going towards the room he was to prepare in.

"Fenrir, aren't you going too?" asked Mayura when she saw that the little dog had not left with his father.

Fenrir shook his head. "No, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay here."

Mayura smiled before picking up the dog and placing him on the futon her father had brought in for them earlier, scratching him behind the ears affectionately. When she had learned that it had been Fenrir whom found out where she had gone and alerted everyone, the wolf had found a special place in Mayura's heart. While she was still upset whenever she thought about what he had said that day, she knew now where it was coming from thanks to Loki and Spica, and she did not begrudge him his anger. Rather she tried now to be a bit more inclusive with him and spent more time with him than she had before, though once she and Loki went on their honeymoon she was not sure how the little dog would cope.

"Daddy's right," yawned Fenrir as he looked up at Mayura. "You do look like a goddess."

"Thank you, Fenrir," said Mayura gently then she turned back to Freya. "I'm dressed, my hair and makeup are done, I finally got this gods' damned headdress on. Anything I'm missing?"

Freya thought for a moment. "I don't believe so . . . unless you count the ring."

Mayura clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. "I forgot the ring!"

Just then someone knocked on the screen door, Freya rushed over to answer it and found Yamino standing with a small black box in his hands. He was already dressed for the ceremony, wearing an impeccable black suit with a white tie and gold accents, nothing out of the ordinary for the god of mischief's youngest son; though Mayura did see the green silk handkerchief tucked in his pocket and she smiled, as she had purple ribbons tied into her hair.

"I believe you were missing something?" asked Yamino with a wink as he passed the box to Freya. "It arrived this morning, along with yours, though I've already taken it to Father. The engraving came out perfectly, I might add."

Mayura breathed a tremendous sigh of relief as she took out the ring and examined it in the light; the ring was a simple band of gold, the same kind as her engagement ring, inlaid in white gold in the band were small intricate images of Norse mythology. The tree of Yggdrasil was in the center, with two images representing life and death on either side, and a snake with its tail in its mouth wrapping around the top of the band. The snake represented their marriage, Loki had said, as never ending and eternal. She looked on the inside and saw the engraving written in Old Norse, just as she had requested.

"We're almost ready to start," said Yamino, breaking her from her thoughts. "Are you ready?"

"Born ready, Yamino," laughed Mayura as she handed the ring to Freya. "I can't wait to be married!"

Yamino smiled happily as he held out his hand for her to take, the serpent in disguise felt like crying as he watched the young woman glide gracefully to him, taking his hand. She had grown up and changed so much these last few years, yet at the same time she was still the same old Mayura.

* * *

Yamino escorted Mayura, while Freya diligently followed behind, to the main entrance of the Daidouji Temple where they found Loki and the others waiting for them. Narugami and Koutaro stood directly behind Loki, with Fenrir in Narugami's arms; the Norns were behind them, and behind them were Frey and Heimdall now in his true form. Mayura was still surprised to see Heimdall as an adult rather than as a child, when she returned from Utgard she did as Spica said and gave the runes to Heimdall, who then promptly used them to revert to his true form permanently.

He still had one eye and had to wear leather gloves to hide his talon like fingers, but his purple hair was much longer, now having to be tied with a red ribbon to keep it tame, and he was as tall as Frey. She had to admit, he was very handsome, though still not as handsome as Loki. When Mayura saw Loki dressed in a traditional men's kimono she felt herself smiling, she had not expected him to fully partake in that aspect of the ceremony. The look on his face when he saw her walking to him was one of absolute love, which made her weak in the knees.

Daidouji watched his only child walk towards him in her wedding gown, briefly he prayed that her mother was watching this, watching their little girl become the woman they had always dreamed she would be. He felt proud and sad all at the same time, he knew she was about to start a new life with someone who clearly loved her beyond measure but he also knew that she would be leaving him forever. There would be no more dinners waiting for him after a late night, no more mystery stories being read aloud as he walked past her room, no more welcome home hugs. Those would be reserved for someone else now.

"Daddy, are you alright?" asked Mayura when she saw the sad look on her father's face.

Daidouji nodded. "I'm fine, Mayura. Now, please follow me."

Loki took Mayura's hand and together they followed Daidouji out of the temple and to the small ceremony area Yamino and the others had set up earlier that day. The others dispersed to the seats set around the ceremony space while Loki and Mayura followed Daidouji to an ornate table, he motioned for them to remain there as he moved around in front of the table, looking out at the guests and the bride and groom.

Silently he picked up the sakaki branch, a prayer escaping his lips in a whisper as he moved and shook the branch around Mayura and Loki's heads, the two of them bowing slightly at the waist to accept the blessing. Loki stole a quick glance at Mayura, he honestly could not get enough of how she looked right now, she almost had an ethereal glow.

They both looked up when they heard Daidouji praying to his gods, asking them to bless the union and to accept their offerings; Loki almost laughed when he heard Daidouji invoking Frigg, he had thought the man would simply allow her likeness in the shrine, not openly pray to her.

' _Strange mystery,'_ thought Loki wryly as he looked again at Mayura.

Next came the _sake_ , which Narugami dutifully poured into the smallest cup, presenting it with a bow to Loki; the god took the cup and did as Daidouji told him, two sips then finishing off the cup on the third. When he was finished he handed the cup back to Narugami who handed it to Freya, so she could fill it up with _sake_ for Mayura, and she drank it down with incredible grace. Freya then filled the medium cup, handing it to Mayura to drink then passing it to Narugami when she was finished so he could fill it for Loki to drink. With the larger cup, they repeated the cycle from the small cup. When they finished, Narugami and Freya went to the guests and poured them a small cup of _sake_ , whispering blessings as they went and returning to fill a cup for both Loki and Mayura.

Daidouji smiled discreetly at them both then looked at Loki expectantly.

Loki cleared his throat, prepared to recite the vow he had committed to memory just days prior. In perfect Japanese, he recited loudly, "We make this marriage vow respectfully before the Hachiman deity. We Loki and Mayura are delighted to be able to make our vows on this great day, and to become husband and wife through the blessing of the Hachiman deity. We swear before the Hachimang deity to love and respect each other forever, and to strive to bring our family prosperity. Moreover, we swear never to veer from the true path of matrimony, and to work to share the divine grace of Hachiman deity by helping people and society."

Mayura then made a small noise, indicating that she would speak next. In shaky Old Norse, the words of a prayer came from her lips. " _Fairest Frigg, Fensalir's Lady, Friend of families, matron of marriage, most gracious of goddesses, hear my hailing. I pray for myself and for he with whom I am handfast, I pray for peace between our bonds, I pray for our love to last through the long years and all the woes that the world can wish on us. I pray for patience on both our parts, that we may salve each other's sight, every time we return to the haven of home. Yet most of all I ask for aid when anger burns, and baleful words come forth to fire each other's false suspicions. Help us to turn once again to trust, and come with courtesy to the table, and talk, and find a fairer road to walk. O Frigg who keeps our knotted cord, show us the shared road through the thorns._ "

Everyone's jaw had dropped when she started speaking; they had thought she might recite a prayer at the very least, but not in Old Norse. While she had fumbled a bit, the beautiful sound of the old tongue was not unappreciated by the gods and goddesses present, all of whom had been reciting it under their breath once they heard the words. Loki was grinning broadly, just when he thought he had Mayura figured out, she always seemed to find some new way to surprise him and this was probably the biggest surprise yet.

When Daidouji recovered from the shock of hearing his daughter speak a prayer in a dead language, he continued with the ceremony, bringing out the offerings Loki and Mayura had agreed on then placing them on the shrine. Once that had concluded, he motioned to Freya and Narugami to hand the wedding rings to Loki and Mayura, the two smiling at each other as they slid the rings on the other as Daidouji completed the ceremony.

" _Sake_ time!" shouted Narugami as he took his cup and drank it down in one go as the others laughed before drinking their glasses as well.

"We were so close," sighed Loki after he finished his _sake_.

Mayura laughed as they walked back, hand in hand, towards the temple. "Well, at least Narugami waited until the very end before saying anything. He could have said that during the _sake_ ceremony."

Loki nodded thoughtfully. "That's very true, he could have been much worse." Then he looked down at her with a mischievous grin. "You're my wife now."

"And you're my husband," said Mayura a little sheepishly. "Strange mystery."

Loki brought her hand up and kissed it. "Not at all."


End file.
